'What's stopping Centre from probing all culprits'

kolkata: Stating that all coal assets belong to the Central government and are guarded by Central agencies, Trinamool Youth Congress president Abhishek Banerjee on Monday raised the question as to what was preventing the Centre from investigating 'culprits' who failed to manage the national assets. TMC also demanded the resignation of the Coal Minister and Home Minister for the alleged irregularities.

Abhihek Banerjee, Trinamool Youth Congress president on Monday tweeted: "All coal assets fall directly under Centre & are guarded by the Central agencies. If BJP thinks TMC leaders got money from those illegally operating the coal assets, then what's stopping Centre from investigating all culprits who failed to manage these national assets?"

He further tweeted: "Also it is ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS that according to BJP, Coal Ministry & Home Ministry officials were more keenly following TMC leaders' orders than listening to their own bosses' (Read Modi-Shah's) commands! Whom are you fooling?"

Earlier in the day, TMC leader Bratya Basu, while addressing a press conference at Trinamool Bhawan, asked how much 'hafta' (cut-money) did Amit Shah and Piyush Goel charge from the coal mafia as the collieries belong to Centre Government and ECL (Eastern Coalfields Limited) and are guarded by the Central Industrial Security Force (under Home ministry.)

Basu said TMC would file a criminal case on how a part of the conversation between a witness and the investigating officer in the coal scam case got leaked. "We all want to know how much they (Shah and Goel) had received as hafta. Shah and Goel should resign as CISF had failed to protect the coal mines which are owned by the ECL," he said.

He said TMC had demanded an inquiry into the matter and the persons involved should be punished.

He said it was the responsibility of the press to examine the credibility of the footage which they had aired at this crucial juncture when the election was on. "We respect the freedom of the press and expect more responsibility from it. If the press has not confirmed, then on what basis they have aired the programme," he asked.