Kolkata: Actor and Member of Parliament (MP) from Bankura Moon Moon Sen’s assets grew by 536 percent in comparison to what she declared in 2014 but her colleague from film industry singer Babul Supriyo claims his assets decrease by 21 per cent. This comes when Babul Supriyo has been a minister in Narendra Modi’s cabinet.
Both Sen and Supriyo are also contesting against each other in Asansol for Trinamool Congress (TMC) and BJP. Sen has been fielded from Asansol this time, instead of Bankura, by TMC.
With total assets worth Rs 5.92 crores, Supriyo, the Minister of State (MoS) for Heavy Industry and Public Enterprise has shown his assets to have decreased in last five year. In 2014, he had declared his assets as Rs 7.53 crores.
And it is not just about his assets, but his nomination papers say that his income too has fallen. He earned only Rs 6.15 lacs during the financial year 2017-18. Interestingly, the singer used to earn more before becoming MP and minister, in 2012-13. Back then his income was 7.44 lacs.
In the recent declaration, Supriyo has shown that the salary he got as its minister as his only source of income, nothing from singing or acting. The Bollywood- Tollywood singer has Rs 57 lacs liabilities.
There was no income shown in the spouse column of Asansol MP. It was Nil mentioned in 2014’s affidavit too.
When eNewsroom searched further, we find out that Supriyo had acted too in a Bengali film– Hitlist in 2016.
But if the details furnished by the BJP MP in his nomination papers are to be believed, then it raises many question as to how, when all other candidates net worth of his movable and immovable assets increased, but his decreased.
Sen who had declared her income for the fiscal year 2018-19 as Rs 20 lacs and with spouse its Rs 22 lacs. She also mentioned her income came from the salary as an MP as well as from acting. In 2012-13, the actress had mentioned total income around Rs 6 lacs.
The only thing, where Supriyo leads from Sen is, he has four cases against him. One of the charges has been slapped under section 153A of Indian Penal Code (IPC) which amounts to promoting enmity between different groups on the ground of religion, race place of birth, language among others.
Interestingly, SS Ahluwalia, the second BJP leader who had won in 2014 from Darjeeling, West Bengal, has also shown an increase of assets by 13 percent. Ahluwalia who has been fielded this time from Burdawan-Durgapur has declared total assets were worth Rs 2.33 crores five years back and now it’s grown to Rs 2.65 crores.
The details of the candidates contesting in the fourth phase (West Bengal) has been analyzed by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and was presented by its state chapter West Bengal Election Watch (WBEW).
According to political observers the decrease of Supriyo’s assets could be because of gifting some property to somebody. But they say that when such major difference in assets and income get mentioned, the reason should be pointed out in the affidavit.
The only well-known contestant and incumbent MP whose condition is similar is actress Satabdi Roy. The Birbhum MP has shown 11 per cent decrease in the worth of her assets, while her income has gone down from Rs 57 lacs (2012-13) to Rs 19 lacs.
When asked state coordinator, WBEW Ujjaini Halim, that whether Supriyo or others are hiding some information? She reacted, “Whatever information the candidates had listed in their affidavits has been analysed by us and presented before the people. Now it’s up to the people to interpret it or dig deeper into the data.”
Whatever be the technicalities of the asset and income details of Supriyo, but his record as a parliamentarian has not been that impressive. With an attendance of 45 percent to his credit, he neither took part in any debate nor raised a single question in the parliament, nor did he introduce any private member bill, according to PRS Legislative Research.
Coming to Modi cabinet minister’s MPLAD expenditure. Supriyo has only used Rs 13 crores out of the 25 he has been entitled to.
