Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya demands white paper on legal costs incurred by erstwhile TMC regime

West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Samik Bhattacharya on Tuesday demanded a white paper detailing the erstwhile Trinamool Congress (TMC) government’s expenditure on engaging senior advocates in the High Court and Supreme Court, and called for a formal inquiry into the legal costs incurred by individual government departments over the years.

Addressing a programme on Tuesday, Bhattacharya said the government should make public the amount spent by each department on hiring lawyers, arguing that taxpayers were entitled to know how public money had been used in litigation.

Advertisement

Pointing to education minister Deepak Barman, who was present at the event, Bhattacharya urged him to initiate an investigation into departmental legal expenditure and publish the findings in a comprehensive white paper.

“The former TMC governmenr hired top notch lawyers from the Congress. Where were their legal fees paid from? They were paid from our taxes. From our hardworking earnings. The TMC kept your dearness allowance (DA) on hold for this among other things,” Bhattacharya said.

The BJP leader also warned party workers against becoming complacent over the party’s electoral performance.

He said the BJP’s success in securing 207 of the state’s 242 seats should not breed overconfidence, stressing that organisational discipline and continued public outreach were essential if the party hoped to build on its gains.

Bhattacharya urged party workers to remain humble, stay connected with the electorate and focus on strengthening the organisation rather than celebrating past victories.