Shortly after TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee sought time to appear before the Enforcement Directorate, which summoned him in the coal scam case on Tuesday, his aunt and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee shot out a letter to all Oppn leaders and non-BJP CMs to unite in the ‘fight against BJP’.
WB CM-TMC chief Mamata Banerjee writes to all Oppn leaders & CMs, “expressing concern over BJP’s direct attacks on democracy”
— ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2022
‘I urge that all of us come together for a meeting to deliberate on the way forward at a place as per everyone’s convenience & suitability,’ letter reads pic.twitter.com/OvlV2W4yo6
In the letter shared by news agency ANI, Mamata Banerjee wrote that the BJP-led central government is using central agencies to target opposition leaders “just when elections are around the corner” anywhere in the country. She urged everyone to come together to “fight the oppressive regime at the Centre”.
“Central agencies such as the ED, CBI, Central Vigilance Commission (CVC)and the Income Tax Department are being used to target, harass and corner political opponents across the country for vendetta. We all must resist the ruling BJP’s intention to misuse these central agencies with the sole intent of suppressing opposition leaders. Central agencies are jolted to action just when elections are round the corner,” the letter read.
Mamata Banerjee went on to mock the Indian judiciary, implying that it, too, is a puppet of the BJP. She alleged that the BJP-led central government is attempting to undermine the country’s federal structure by influencing a portion of the judiciary.
“I have the highest regards for the judiciary. But at present due to certain biased political interferences, people are not getting justice which is a dangerous trend in our democracy. In our democratic system, judiciary, media and public are important pillars. If any part is disrupted, the system collapses,” she said.
Interestingly, Mamata Banerjee’s letter comes on a day when her nephew and TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee sought more time from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which had summoned him today in a coal scam case.
Notably, last Monday on March 21, the ED had questioned TMC MP and WB CM’s nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, for eight hours in the coal scam case. After the questioning, he was asked to join the probe again on March 29 for further interrogation. Reports suggest that Abhishek Banerjee did not join the probe on Tuesday, instead sought some time from the law enforcement agency.
Last Monday after questioning, the TMC MP had told the media that the BJP was misusing the agencies and he wasn’t afraid.
Later, on the same day, he had moved the Supreme Court of India against the summons issued to him by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to the West Bengal coal scam.
The ED has summoned Abhishek Banerjee and his wife Rujira to appear in court on March 21 and 22 for questioning. Banerjee and his wife had previously moved the Delhi High Court against the ED’s summons, claiming that because they are both West Bengal residents, they should not be summoned to appear before the agency in the national capital.
However, on March 11, the high court dismissed their plea. Following this, the ED issued fresh summons to Banerjee and his wife to appear in person at the ED’s Delhi office.
Interestingly, in September, while he was on his way to Delhi to appear before ED, Abhishek Banerjee has confidently claimed that he would “hang himself in public” if he is proven guilty.
It is notable here that Mamata Banerjee has made repeated attempts over the years to unite the opposition parties against the BJP, projecting herself as a national leader, without any concrete results.
