Ex-min, culture world under lens after singers’ public plea to CM

Kolkata: ‘Pancha kobir gaan’ singer Riddhi Bandyopadhyay and singer Dola Banerjee met chief minister Suvendu Adhikari at Tuesday’s ‘janata darbar‘ to publicly expose the ‘toxic favouritism’ and ‘cancel culture’ plaguing Bengal’s music industry. They voiced their frustration over a restrictive cultural nexus that has banned them and other talented artists from performing at state-sponsored events.

Bandyopadhyay launched a scathing attack on singer and former minister Indranil Sen, accusing him of orchestrating a sycophantic cartel that monopolized the industry. She claimed she was blacklisted simply for challenging this corrupt distribution system. According to Bandyopadhyay, “I can still earn my bread and butter by getting programmes. But what about so many others who were deprived and banned for years? A tight-knit clique of just two dozen loyalists hoarded all govt gigs, Gaan Mela appointments, and judging roles, reaping disproportionate rewards driven by toxic favoritism rather than actual merit. Some within this inner circle possessed genuine ability but even the gifted owed half of their opportunities strictly to the clique,” Bandyopadhyay said.

She further alleged rampant money siphoning and a completely arbitrary remuneration system that lacked any clear yardstick. “While favoured artistes inexplicably secured up to eight lucrative shows across the city, marginalized performers faced sudden, unexplained pay cuts. When these victims questioned the slashed fees, they were abruptly dismissed and told it was simply a directive from Nandan, exposing a complete lack of financial transparency and accountability in distribution of state funds,” she said.

Banerjee, a member of the Association of Professional Performing Singers (APPS), met the CM to submit a detailed dossier alleging widespread corruption and money laundering within state cultural bodies. She claimed that APPS, originally founded by Shibaji Chattopadhyay to support artistes, was transformed into a “money laundering” platform after Sen became a minister. “We want a complete probe. Shibaji-da was directly involved in these financial irregularities, and tenders for festivals organized by the Rajya Sangeet Academy, Jatra Academy, and Dance Academy were manipulated so that three companies owned by Sen’s brother received all infrastructure contracts,” Banerjee alleged.

To substantiate these claims, Banerjee and Bandyopadhyay submitted bills worth Rs 12 crore to expose how funds were siphoned during programmes, alongside the names of event organizers linked to politicians Madan Mitra and Sujit Bose. The dossier also listed temporary workers at Nandan and at least 80 musicians and support staff who allegedly received regular work due to their proximity to Sen. “Some individuals even changed their names and castes to secure permanent govt jobs. I was personally blacklisted from performing after I publicly apologized to the media in Dhaka when protests erupted over Sen singing the Bangladeshi national anthem out of tune. The CM assured us that we would be protected,” Banerjee said.

Sen told TOI that it is “beneath” his dignity to respond to such allegations. “I know Riddhi, but it is unfortunate that I have never heard of the other singer. I am not a tout. Shibaji Chattopadhyay is such a respected artiste. What they are alleging is disgraceful,” Sen said, adding that he sees no political colour in the matter, only a personal agenda. “However, I want these claims to be proven.” He noted that at least 15,000 artists have performed at the events. “With due respect, I ask the administration to furnish a single document proving that I have taken even Rs 5 from anyone. I have full faith in them, and if proven otherwise, I am ready to accept any kind of punishment. I fail to understand why so much is being said after May 4. If they had such issues, they could have reached out to Mamata Banerjee,” he continued.

Sen added, “I heard allegations regarding threat calls. In today’s digital age, it is easy to trace call logs and find out who made those threats. I am also clueless about this incident of seeking an apology in Dhaka.”