TMC cries foul as ED summons Abhishek Banerjee on day when it plans to hold Delhi dharna

The 35-year-old MP from Diamond Harbour hit out at the BJP government at the Centre over the summons. “Earlier this month, the ED summoned me on a day coinciding with an important coordinating meeting of #INDIA in Delhi. I dutifully appeared and complied with the served summons. Now, today yet again they have served me another summon to appear before them on a day when the protest agitation for West Bengal’s rightful dues is scheduled in Delhi on 3rd Oct. This stark revelation unequivocally exposes those who are truly perturbED, rattlED and scarED,” he posted on his X handle.

The ED, which is probing the “money laundering angle” in the irregularities in the appointment of government school staff, questioned him for nine hours at its Kolkata office on Sept 13. After coming out of the ED office then, Banerjee accused the BJP of “using central probe agencies to target Trinamool Congress”. He also dared the ED to arrest him if it “could prove his involvement” in the scam.

On the same day, Banerjee was scheduled to attend a coordination committee meeting of the INDIA bloc in New Delhi, and he had to skip it.

On Sept 14, the Calcutta High Court directed the ED to submit property details of Banerjee and his company, Leaps and Bounds Pvt Ltd. The company’s name had surfaced during the investigation. It also sought the names and property details of others who are under the scanner of the investigating agencies in the case.

Earlier, on Aug 23, the ED said the TMC MP was the company’s CEO and that he was also a director at the company from April 2012 to Jan 2014.

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh also hit out at the BJP government. “It has become the ED’s culture to call Abhishek Banerjee wherever he has a political meeting. It shows he is politically being disturbed. He was first called when INDIA was to hold a meeting and now he is being called on Oct 3, when he is about to hold a dharna in Delhi. It is a conspiracy and political vendetta,” he said.

“One more time it is proved how the BJP is suffering from Abhishek Banerjee-phobia. They are politically scared of Banerjee. They do not understand that the more they do this, the more people end up supporting the TMC on the ground,” said TMC MP Santanu Sen.

In response to the TMC’s allegations, BJP leader Rahul Sinha said, “If there was nothing to hide he wouldn’t have reacted this way. Every time he is called he moves court seeking orders of ‘no coercive action’ against him. There is definitely something. On Oct 3, when the ED questions him, it will surely give a direction on what the future holds,” Sinha said.