RTI reveals BJP Bengal chief Dilip Ghosh gave incorrect info about education in poll affidavit

A former BJP worker who had filed an RTI questioning the authenticity of the affidavit submitted by West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh to the Election Commission ahead of the state assembly election in 2016 said that his suspicion had been proved right.

In an RTI filed by former BJP activist Ashok Sarkar on January 25, Sarkar wanted to know whether Ghosh had passed from Iswarchandra Vidyasagar Polytechnic College of Jhargram in West Midnapore district as claimed in the submitted affidavit.

“In the reply from the principal of the institute, it has been said that no one by the name of Dilip Ghosh, son of Late Bhulanath Ghosh from West Midnapore had completed any course in diploma or engineering from the institute between 1975 and 1990,” Sarkar told DNA.

RTI application filed by Sarkar

Asked why he filed the RTI, Sarkar said that Ghosh was not only the party’s state president but also an RSS pracharak and so should not have done something like this. “I knew he was lying about his educational qualification and thus filed the RTI. I will call up the election commissioner and seek an appointment tomorrow or the day after to submit a letter in this regard. Just like in the case of Jitender Singh Tomar, the AAP MLA and former law minister of Delhi who had been arrested and his membership to the Assembly cancelled because he had forged his law degree, there should be similar action taken against Ghosh,” Sarkar added.

RTI reply to Sarkar's application.

Sarkar also said that if the commission did not take action against Ghosh, he would move court. He has also written a letter to BJP national president Amit Shah saying that under the leadership of Ghosh many charged with corruption were getting patronisation, citing the instance of Ghosh’s namesake who had been accused of being involved in child trafficking case, and Jay Prakash Majumder. who had been accused of siphoning of money from protesting teachers. "State party is a divided house today because of Mr Dilip Ghosh’s way of working and will surely fail to capitalise the momentum built in favour of the party post demonetisation and victory in four states in the recently concluded assembly elections," the letter read.

Ghosh, however, refused to react to the allegations. “It is a democratic country so anyone can file an RTI and go to any office. I don't mind. I think these are my well-wishers who give me a lot of free publicity,” he told DNA.