'Shyamaprasad Bangiyo Samman Awards': BJP Affiliated Group in West Bengal Honours Actors Madhabi Mukhopadhyay, Biswajit Chatterjee, Kalyan Chatterjee

Kolkata, Nov 2: A cultural organisation affiliated to the BJP on Saturday conferred the 'Shyamaprasad Bangiyo Samman' to film and television personalities of the state.

The award, instituted in the name of Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee, is seen as an apparent bid to counter the state-sponsored awards accorded to actors of West Bengal.

Actors Madhabi Mukhopadhyay, Biswajit Chatterjee and Kalyan Chatterjee were given lifetime achievement award for their contributions to cinema whereas singer Manna Dey was among three personalities posthumously awarded the honour.

BJP leader Agnimitra Paul, also an office-bearer of 'Bangoproyas' that gave away the awards, told PTI that artists and technicians from the world of television, films and theatre were honoured.

"We have instituted the awards in a free, fair and transparent manner based on talent and not on political ideology," she said.

BJP state president Dilip Ghosh, party National General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya were among those present at the awards function.

Paul said, "We had seen what happened in the past eight years of state awards. Somehow, it was a coincidence that those close to the TMC were chosen. I am not questioning the talents of the awardees but many others not having links with the ruling party were not shortlisted."

She said 'Bangoproyas', which had formed a jury of eminent members of the film industry to decide on the winners, will be a forum to recognise talents.

"There is no politics behind selecting the winners in various categories. Bangoproyas intends to acknowledge the art and culture of West Bengal," Dilip Ghosh said.

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