The West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has launched a scathing attack on Sarthak Banerjee, President of the South Kolkata Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) and Head Clerk of Ashutosh College, accusing him of amassing disproportionate wealth, manipulating campus administration, and shielding sexual offenders under political cover.
Through a detailed post on X, the BJP laid bare a web of alleged corruption and abuse of power, turning the spotlight on how student politics under Trinamool Congress (TMC) has allegedly become a vehicle for unchecked enrichment and criminality.
Who is Sarthak Banerjee?
He is the President of South Kolkata TMCP — the student wing of Trinamool Congress.But that’s not all. He is also the Head Clerk at Ashutosh College.
Yet, his real power lies elsewhere. Sarthak Banerjee is so influential that he sits with the Principal… pic.twitter.com/2XcGAB3oZ4
— BJP West Bengal (@BJP4Bengal) July 7, 2025
Despite officially being no more than a head clerk at Ashutosh College, Sarthak Banerjee’s influence extends far beyond paperwork. According to the BJP, Banerjee sits alongside the college principal Manas Kabir to hold TMCP political strategy meetings on campus, effectively reducing the academic institution into a party cell office. Students and faculty, under the condition of anonymity, have expressed fears over rising political interference, intimidation, and the collapse of administrative neutrality.
What has stunned observers the most is the magnitude of Banerjee’s alleged real estate holdings. According to BJP’s revelations, Banerjee and his family own or control:
- One property in Kalighat in his name
- One in his father’s name
- Three in his mother’s name — all in Kalighat
- Two flats and a garage in Jadavpur under his name
- Two flats on Uday Shankar Sarani in his father’s name
- Two flats in Amtala in his mother’s nameOne more flat on Uday Shankar Sarani in his mother’s name
In total, this adds up to over a dozen properties, an incredible portfolio for a mid-level college employee drawing a government clerk’s salary—particularly in a party that brands itself as “the voice of the poor.”
When questioned by Bhaskar English, Banerjee denied ownership of many properties, calling them “ancestral” or “jointly owned with family.” He denied outright that three Kalighat properties belonged to his mother, dismissed the flats in Jadavpur as false claims, and attempted to justify two flats on Uday Shankar Sarani by citing a ₹22 lakh loan. Yet, questions remain unanswered:
- How did a college clerk secure and repay such substantial loans?
- What is the source of income behind such widespread family acquisitions?
- Why are TMCP party meetings being held with the college principal on campus property?
Despite the denials, the pattern of financial opaqueness and consolidated family wealth under public scrutiny has raised serious questions about systematic abuse of office, political patronage, and lack of accountability.
Calling the revelations “just the tip of the iceberg,” the BJP has demanded:
- A comprehensive financial and asset probe into Banerjee and his family’s holdings
- Administrative action against the Ashutosh College principal and staff involved in politicising the campus
- An independent inquiry into the allegations of shielding rape-accused Manojit Mishra, who the BJP alleges was protected by Banerjee
“This is not just about one TMCP leader,” said a BJP spokesperson. “This is about a system of criminalisation and corruption that the Trinamool Congress has embedded inside our colleges. How can a college head clerk hold political meetings with the principal and own crores worth of real estate?”
Perhaps the most disturbing allegation is Banerjee’s alleged role in shielding rape-accused Manojit Mishra, a name that has surfaced in connection with multiple incidents of sexual assault and harassment in college campuses. The BJP’s post linked Banerjee directly to efforts to protect and promote individuals like Mishra, calling him a “political enabler of predatory power.”
By drawing connections between TMCP’s campus grip, accumulated wealth, and criminal patronage, the BJP is painting a picture of deep rot within Trinamool’s student and educational machinery.
