INDIA. West Bengal: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condemned all malicious campaigns against her family and party leaders. She held probe agencies “ill-gotten money of the BJP” following the raids and arrests of her party’s two senior leaders.
Both the figureheads Partha Chatterjee and Anubrata Mondal were booked into custody by the ED and CBI in different cases. Mamta Banerjee lashed at the BJP prior to receiving a PIL from Calcutta High Court last Monday.
The PIL is about all Mamata Banerjee, and her family owned ‘illegal’ properties. It is filed by advocate Arijit Majumdar, seeking intervention into the matter.
According to the petition, Majumder alleged, “Documents available with the different registrars of West Bengal show that different properties which include government properties too were purchased at much lower than market price by the family members of Mamata Banerjee, Hon’ble Chief Minister of West Bengal. Since 2011, there has been an abnormal growth in the wealth of family members of Mamata Banerjee, Hon’ble Chief Minister of West Bengal.”
“The Inspector General of Registration and Land Revenue should have informed the IT Department and ED about huge transactions by the family members of Mamata Banerjee, but strangely, nothing was done.”
The TMC supremo, in a media interaction, said, “I am not worried about any property. I came to politics to serve people. A PIL has been filed in the High Court that my family has illegal property. I have asked my CS to probe and bulldoze if any illegal property is found in my family’s name or helped someone do that. I have full faith in the judiciary.”
“If my family gets notice (from central agencies), I will fight it legally, though it has become tough these days,” she added.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued a fresh summon to CM Mamta Banerjee’s nephew and Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, seeking clarification on the ongoing investigation into the coal smuggling case.
Banerjee took a dig at the centre’s Home Minister, claiming that he overlooked the matter and was responsible for everything.
“They (BJP) allege that the coal scam proceeds are going to Kalighat, but they don’t name anyone. Is the money going to Maa Kali?”
Meanwhile, Mamta’s nephew resides in Kolkata’s Kalighat area. She even criticized BJP saying, “The BJP is branding everybody as thieves. They are campaigning as if all of us in the TMC are thieves and only the BJP and its leaders are holy. Had I not been in politics, I would have asked my party leaders to tear out their tongues.”
The Bengal Chief Minister made it clear, “For the past 12 years, I have forfeited a monthly pension of Rs 1 lakh as a former parliamentarian. Even as a chief minister, I have given up the monthly remuneration. I pay for my own cup of tea and rarely use government vehicles. I will stay at my own place, which was given to me by my father.”
Adding stress to her statement, Mamata Banerjee said, “If they arrest me, they will understand their mistake.”
Also Read: BJP Slams Mamata Banerjee for Diverting the WBSSC Case
