Once bitten, twice shy

Trinamool Congress (TMC), the ruling party in West Bengal, uploaded an appeal for funds on its website on Tuesday. Rival parties had alleged that the TMC's campaign for the 2011 Assembly elections in the state was funded by the Saradha Group, which was later implicated in a chit fund scam. The Central Bureau of Investigation, too, had sought clarifications on the party's income under heads such as the sale of paintings by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and donations and proceeds from the TMC mouthpiece Jago Bangla. The appeal on the party website reads: "People's party Maa Mati Manush invites you to contribute generously to build a bright future for all." State education minister Partha Chatterjee explained that the party wanted to create a fund and usher in "transparency".