4 min readKolkataSep 12, 2023 12:42 AM IST
First published on: Sep 12, 2023 at 12:36 AM IST
TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday hit out at the Central agencies for summoning party MP and nephew Abhishek Banerjee for questioning in the school jobs scam case, calling it a “political vendetta” by the BJP.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is probing the “money laundering angle” in the alleged irregularities in the appointment of school staff in government schools, has summoned Abhishek on September 13, the day he is scheduled to attend the coordination committee meeting of the INDIA bloc alliance in New Delhi.
“There can be political differenc0es in a democracy among various parties. But what they are doing is political vendetta. However, there are certain boundaries that should not be crossed in a democracy because they can take other forms later. Today, if they are taking certain actions because they are in power, it must not be forgotten that tomorrow another government may come to power, which will do the same.”
“They continuously keep disturbing Abhishek [Banerjee]. He is forced to make rounds of various courts. He is unnecessarily being harassed without any evidence. But the young generation will not tolerate this. They want to disturb the young generation and hence engage in these things. But the youth will not accept this and fight with courage,” she said.
On the arrest of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu by Andhra Pradesh Police in a corruption case, Banerjee said, “I did not like the way Naidu was arrested. Actions should not be vindictive in nature… I have so much information but I never engage in such antics. I did not even lay a finger on CPI(M) ministers as it is the courtesy of our democracy.”
On the upcoming special session of Parliament, for which the BJP government at the Centre has not outlined the agenda, the TMC chief said, “Let us see the suggestions on the Bills [for the special session]. We will see it first, and then our parliamentary party will comment. I cannot make guesses based on something that is not true yet.”
On the Centre’s attempts to rename India as Bharat in official communications, Mamata Banerjee said the BJP-led government might be doing this because “they were concerned about the INDIA alliance”. “We do not oppose the name Bharat but there is no need to remove India. Without any constitutional amendment, they put their seal of approval. This is an unconstitutional move… Even our passport states that we are the Republic of India…We can also say the G20 logo had the lotus symbol in it, which is also BJP’s poll symbol. It is also a national symbol. I am not saying this to ignite a debate,” she said.
Lashing out at the Centre, Mamata Banerjee said her partymen will pray at Rajghat if permission to protest in Delhi on Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary is denied. The TMC had sought permission from Delhi Police to protest the non-release of NREGA dues to Bengal at three venues in the national capital including Rajghat where Gandhi’s ashes are kept.
“How can Delhi Police give permission [for the protest] when they are scared? They are not our enemies but they have to follow political directives. Every person can go to pay their respects to Mahatma Gandhi on Gandhi Jayanti. If they deny us permission to protest, our MPs, MLAs, and zilla parishad presidents can go and pray at Rajghat,” she said.
CM Mamata Banerjee at Nabanna on Monday. (Image source: PTI) 
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