After West Bengal Industry Minister Partha Chatterjee was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the West Bengal SSC recruitment scam and a huge amount of cash was recovered from the residence of an aide of the minister, Trinamool Congress Party held a press conference and alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party is politically influencing the central agency. TMC also criticized West Bengal’s BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari in this press conference. The press conference was held at the party headquarters in Kolkata and addressed by Firhad Hakim, Aroop Biswas, and Kunal Ghosh.
Talking about the case of over Rs 21 crore and other valuables worth over Rs 1 crore recovered from a flat of actor Arpita Mukherjee, close aide of Partha Chatterjee, the party denied any link with her. Kunal Ghosh said that Arpita Mukherjee is not related to TMC in any way, and thus the party and the government has nothing do with the black money recovered by ED. The TMC leader instead demanded to complete the probe soon so that the source of the money can be revealed. ‘From where so much notes came must be probed’, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said.
The Trinamool Congress said that despite the arrest of minister Partha Chatterjee, he will be not be removed from the party of the state government now. The TMC leaders said in the press conference that if he is found guilty after the probe, then appropriate action will be taken against him. Kunal Ghosh said that the party has full faith on the law.
However, the TMC leaders completely avoided the matter of SSC recruitment scam, and instead accused BJP of using the ED for political witch-hunting. Firhad Hakim said, the probe in the scam was ordered two months ago, and had Partha Chaterjee entered the ‘washing machine of BJP’, ED would not have arrested him.
West Bengal’s Minister of Transport, Urban Development and Municipal Affairs and Housing Firhad Hakim said, “In today’s situation, it seems like ED is being run by BJP. If Suvendu Adhikari is saying that a lot of things are going to be found in the future even before ED is giving any statement. It means that ED is politically influenced by BJP.”
In today’s situation, it seems like ED is being run by BJP. If Suvendu Adhikari is saying that a lot of things are going to be found in the future even before ED is giving any statement. It means that ED is politically influenced by BJP: WB minister Firhad Hakim pic.twitter.com/uSi5wL9l5u
— ANI (@ANI) July 23, 2022
He further said, “We again say that if found guilty under the law, the TMC will take strict action and TMC has no relation with Arpita Mukherjee. Whoever joined the BJP, gets cleared by its washing machine. BJP has been baffled by the success of the 21 July martyrs day crowd and now BJP is accusing by showing pictures. If this is the case there are so many instances where the accused person’s pictures are seen with BJP leaders. Why no action was being taken against the Narada scam accused Suvendu Adhikari?”
The TMC also claimed that photographs showing Partha Chatterjee and Arpita Mukherjee together dos not mean that Chatterjee is linked to cash found at her house. To probe their point, they also displayed photographs showing PM Narendra Modi with Vijay Mallya and others accused of scams.
The TMC leaders also slammed the Congress party for praising the ED over the probe against Partha Chatterjee. The TMC leaders said, if the ED can be good for the probe in Kolkata, how can the the agency be bad in Delhi for interrogating Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
Arpita Mukherjee, a close aide to West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee, was detained after unearthing Rs 21 crore in cash at her residence. Partha Chatterjee was presented before the Bankshall Court in Kolkata after he was arrested. The Enforcement Directorate detained Partha Chatterjee on 23rd July 2022 in connection with the suspected teacher recruitment fraud in West Bengal.
TMC leader Partha Chatterjee’s arrest took place just one day after the huge cash was found in Mukherjee’s residence. The ED is following the money trail in the scandal as the CBI is investigating the suspected anomalies in the School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment. While in custody, Partha Chatterjee experienced chest pain symptoms and was rushed to the SSKM hospital in Kolkata.
