Journalism of Courage
The Opposition’s attack on the Trinamool Congress over allegations regarding its top leaders and arrests of several in scams has begun to have an effect on the lower echelons of the ruling party. A section of TMC leaders are now questioning why the party has adopted a dual policy for its arrested leaders — one for Anubrata Mondal and Manik Bhattacharya, another for the rest, including Partha Chatterjee, Kuntal Ghosh and Shantanu Banerjee.
When senior minister and TMC heavyweight Partha Chatterjee was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) last July over his alleged involvement in the “school jobs scam”, the party and supremo Mamata Banerjee had not only distanced themselves from Chatterjee, but also quickly removed him from his ministerial responsibilities and suspended him from the party membership.
Similarly, a couple of days ago, youth leaders Kuntal Ghosh and Shantanu Banerjee were expelled by the TMC in response to their arrests by the CBI in connection with the same school jobs scam. In sharp contrast, when the CBI arrested TMC Birbhum district president and enforcer Anubrata Mondal aka Keshto last August, over a case of alleged cattle smuggling, Banerjee came out in his support, slamming Central agencies for their “selective targeting of the BJP’s political rivals”.
Addressing an event of TMC workers at Kolkata’s Netaji Indoor Stadium, Banerjee called upon them to give a “heroic welcome” to Mondal whenever he is released from jail, saying: “If they [BJP and the Centre] think these measures [CBI and ED raids and arrests] will help them secure two parliamentary seats from West Bengal, they are mistaken,” adding, “Keshto is unwell. Every election, they restrict his movement, thinking it will bolster their prospects. Those of you who have come from Birbhum should fight with thrice the vigour till Kesto returns, and give him a heroic welcome when he does. He deserves it.”
The reason why Banerjee chose to step out to throw her weight behind Mondal was evident.
The Central agencies’ unrelenting actions against senior TMC leaders have hurt the party organisation and bruised the morale of its rank and file. Mondal is one of Banerjee’s closest lieutenants, who, apart from being the party’s Birbhum strongman, also holds sway over neighbouring districts.
A senior TMC leader said, “Anubrata is one of our seniormost organisers. Our party does not want to lose him. Didi had initially thought he would get bail within a month or two. Now that she has realised this is not happening, she is gradually distancing herself from him too. But, due to political compulsions, she won’t suspend him right now.”
But that’s not convincing enough for a section of TMC leaders, who are now asking why the party did not suspend former School Service Commission chairman Manik Bhattacharya. A senior TMC leader said, “Our party’s thumb rule is to take action against those from whom Central agencies have recovered huge amounts of unaccounted cash, because the optics are bad. But against those who are so far only accused by Central agencies, like Manik, Anubrata and others, the party has decided to go slow, initially only maintaining a distance. It will only take disciplinary action if necessary.” He added, “It is also true that if Manik Bhattacharya is suspended or expelled, he will fight elections as an Independent, which the party did not want to happen.”
The Opposition hasn’t wasted the opportunity, hitting out at the CM for her “deceitful” stand on scam-accused TMC leaders. The BJP’s Samik Bhattacharya said, “Anubrata is the TMC’s poster boy and mask. He is equal to the TMC. So, they won’t ever take any step against him.”
CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said, “The TMC hasn’t actually expelled anyone. They [the accused] are only suspended. Besides, the TMC can’t even suspend Mondal, as they are afraid that he knows everything.”
