With recovery of more cash and gold in connection with ongoing investigation in the School Service Commision recruitment scam, demands for resignation of West Bengal Industries and Commerce Minister Partha Chatterjee, who was arrested, on Thursday grew louder within the Trinamool Congress.
On Wednesday evening, about ₹28 crore cash and jewelry was seized from one of the properties of Arpita Mukherjee, an aide of Partha Chatterjee who is in the custody of Enforcement Directorate.
With this recovery the amount of cash and valuables seized in the scam rose to ₹50 crore. On July 22, the Enforcement Directorate had seized cash and valuables worth ₹21.90 crore. It was the seizure on July 22 that led to the arrest of the Minister and his associate.
Also read: Mamata denies any knowledge of the SSC recruitment scam
On Thursday, Trinamool Congress general secretary and spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said that the party should remove Partha Chatterjee from all posts including the ministries he is in charge of.
“Partha Chatterjee should be removed from ministry and all party posts immediately. He should be expelled. If this statement considered wrong, party has every right to remove me from all posts. I shall continue as a soldier of @AITCofficial,” Mr. Ghosh tweeted. Several other leaders of the TMC came in support of Mr. Ghosh’s demands.
On Wednesday Mr. Chatterjee asked why he should resign. “For what reason (should I resign),” he told journalists who asked him whether he was considering giving up his Ministerial responsibilities.
Both the Minister and his associate are under ED custody in connection with the School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam where jobs were allegedly given for monetary gains. Mr. Chatterjee was Minister of the Education Department from 2014 to 2021.
Since the arrest on July 23, the Trinamool Congress has tried to distance itself from the Minister. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said that anyone who has committed any wrongdoing should be punished.
