KOLKATA: Former West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee said that he is being framed in a conspiracy, a day after he was stripped of his portfolios and his positions in the Trinamool Congress by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday, six days after he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an alleged teacher recruitment scam, in which the agency recovered cash worth RS 50 crore.
“I’ve been framed, I’m a victim of conspiracy,” Chatterjee said. Arrested Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee – who is now suspended from the Trinamool Congress – and his aide Arpita Mukherjee have separately claimed that they are “victims of conspiracy.”
“Partha Chatterjee has been removed from TMC along with the post of General Secretary, national vice-president and three other posts. He has been suspended till the investigation is under way,” Abhishek Banerjee said.
Trinamool Congress, which had been distancing itself from its arrested leader Partha Chatterjee, axed him as a minister on Thursday and suspended him from the party leaving it to him to defend himself in the Enforcement Directorate probe in the teacher recruitment scam in which crores of rupees have been seized from residences linked to his aide Arpita Mukherjee.
Trinamool Congress’ decision to part ways with one of its most senior leaders was announced by party leader Abhishek Banerjee at a press conference in which he said, “If anyone commits something wrong, then Trinamool Congress will not spare him” and ‘there will be zero tolerance for corruption”. He said Partha Chatterjee will remain suspended till probe is under way.
Party leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee removed Partha Chatterjee as a minister in the state government. Partha Chatterjee was considered one of the most trusted lieutenants of the Chief Minister, a “go-to” man and was regarded third in party hierarchy after the CM and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee.
After his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate on Saturday, Partha Chatterjee had called Mamata Banerjee four times. She did not take his calls.
Political observers said that Partha Chatterjee has been virtually left in the cold by the party to defend himself in the face of apparently onerous allegations in the ED probe. They said that the Trinamool Congress move is also aimed at cutting any losses due to ED probe in the teacher recruitment scam.
Partha Chatterjee was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the School Service Commission (SSC) scam in West Bengal on Saturday. A five-time MLA, Chatterjee was appointed as the minister-in-charge of higher education and school education in 2014 and he held the portfolio till 2021.
Abhishek Banerjee told the media here that Partha Chatterjee has been removed from TMC along with the post of general secretary, national vice-president and three other posts. “He can come back if proven not guilty. The CM took the decision and the (Partha Chatterjee) minister was removed. The probe into the matter is unde rway. If anyone commits something wrong, then TMC won’t spare them,” he said.
Abhishek Banerjee said the investigating agency must complete the probe in a time-bound manner. “There will be zero tolerance for corruption. Investigating agency must complete the probe within the time limit. Even in Sarada case nothing happened, it’s just lingering. There should be a time-bound investigation,” he said.
“The one (Arpita Mukherjee) from whose house sums of money were recovered isn’t from TMC. We want stringent action against those who are linked to this matter. I am saying this in a hypothetical way that if Partha Chatterjee goes to BJP after two months, then he will become a saint. Since he is in TMC, all of these things are happening,” he added.
Admitting that huge sums of money had been recovered, Abhishek Banerjee said, “TMC is the only party that intervened within seven days in the matter.” ” I agree huge sums of money were recovered. But, everyday bank frauds are happening, what action did BJP take? Nirav Modi flew away, did BJP sack Nirmala Sitharaman? It’s TMC which walks the talk,” he said.
He also took a dig at BJP leader and actor-politician Mithun Chakraborty that 38 TMC MLAs were in touch with the party. “Mithun Chakraborty doesn’t even know how many Assembly seats and districts are there in Bengal. He just wants to brag about how big a leader he has become. If he wants to make a mockery of himself, then, so be it,” Abhishek Banerjee said. (ANI)