Mamata Banerjee denies allegations of Manna Dey`s daughter

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee denied the allegation of Shumita Deb, the daughter of Manna Dey, that her government did not help the family in its "bad times".

Darjeeling: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday denied the allegation of Shumita Deb, the daughter of Manna Dey, that her government did not help the family in its "bad times".

Referring to Shumita`s charge that Banerjee did not help in a case involving her cousin who allegedly siphoned off cash and jewellery from the legendary playback singer`s bank locker, the Chief Minister said, "You tell me if I ask the police to take action without investigation, is it proper?” "They could have said why you have arrested the family member of Manna Dey?" Banerjee said. "We have to be impartial. We have to be genuine also", the Chief Minister, who is now on a visit to Darjeeling, told reporters here. She denied her government has failed to show proper respect to Dey. "Is it so? Then why did I meet him in Bangalore? I do not know whether she had said so. It may be because we wanted his body be brought to Kolkata to pay last respect." "I am sorry anybody can blame me but I cannot blame anyone," the Chief Minister said. Earlier in a Facebook post today, Banerjee said when she had met Dey in Bangalore to personally hand over the Vishesh Sangeet Mahasamman award to him, she had offered that he `stay with us` in Kolkata. "He was happy to hear this and expressed his desire to do so. But it did not happen," she said. Banerjee said she had spoken to his family to request them for bringing his body by special flight to Kolkata for keeping it in Kolkata for at least 24 hours to pay the last respect to the legendary singer and then perform the last rites at Bangalore as desired by the family. "But this again did not happen," she said. Upset that they had not been helped in bad times, the family of Manna Dey today did not accept the request of West Bengal Chief Minister to bring his mortal remains to Kolkata for the last rites. "I pleaded with Mamata Banerjee to help solve a case involving my cousin who siphoned off cash and jewellery from my father`s bank locker. This would have helped me foot large bills of Narayana Hrudalaya Hospital. I pleaded with (Mamata) government and it did not recognise our pleas. In that case, how shall I honour her words (to bring the body to Kolkata)," Shumita told reporters at Bangalore. 94-year-old Dey had recently moved the Calcutta High Court for a direction to police to take steps against his nephew for allegedly siphoning off cash and jewellery from his bank locker. Dey had alleged his nephew had illegally taken Rs 12 lakh in cash as well as jewellery and a watch worth Rs 15 lakh from a bank locker.