Accusing the BJP-led government at the Centre of indulging in a politics of “blackmailing”, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that “coal and cattle” are under Union Home Ministry, adding that if notice is served to her “family”, she will fight it legally. Ms. Banerjee said that it is becoming difficult to get justice these days but she has faith in the judiciary.
The remarks by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson comes a day after it came to the fore that summons have been issued to party general secretary and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee in the coal pilferage scam. Mr. Banerjee has been asked to appear before Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Kolkata on September 2.
On Wednesday, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted raids in both the SSC recruitment scam and cattle smuggling scam. The agency has identified 100 more properties of close aides of arrested TMC leader Anubrata Mondal in and around Birbhum. A court in Kolkata on Wednesday also reamanded former Minister Partha Chatterjee and his aide Arpita Mukherjee, arrested in the recruitment scam for another 14 days of judicial custody.
My family on its own says Mamata
Addressing the press conference at the State Secretariat, the Chief Minister while referring to allegations of land grab at her family members said that during a meeting of cabinet committee on infrastructure she directed the State’s Chief Secretary to look into the matter. “If you find that I and my family members have grabbed land then use bulldozers to erase everything. You don’t have to take my permission,” she told the Chief Secretary.
The Chief Minister said that the Kalighat area where she resides is under thika tenancy and none of the people are actual landowners. Ms. Banerjee said that she was pained by certain media outlets highlighting a petition of land grab, without even considering whether the petition was admitted or not.
In an hour long press conference, Ms. Banerjee spoke about her relations with her extended family and said that her family members are on their own and she only meets them during festivals.
With the Trinamool Congress battling allegations of corruption following the arrest of two of its heavyweights, on the past few occasions the Chief Minister has appeared to defend allegations of increase of wealth of her family members. For the TMC, Ms. Banerjee purported “clean” image. has been a key political capital and with allegations against her extended family being raised the party chairperson herself tried to address the issue.
“If I was aware that politics was so dirty. I would have never joined it. The chair is to work for common people. When the people don’t want me I will go,” she said.
All in RSS not bad
The Chief Minister also responded to allegations of “setting with the BJP” and said whenever she meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi for release of funds to the State the Opposition accuses her of ‘setting’. “I am not the kind who will indulge in setting,” she said. Ms. Banerjee said that many in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ( RSS) do not approve of the politics of the BJP. “ All in the RSS are not bad,” she said.
