Kolkata: With the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summoning actor-turned-politician Dipak Adhikari (Dev) to its Delhi office in relation to a case under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), Trinamool Congress (TMC) has accused the BJP-led Central government of once again misusing the central probe agency for political gains ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. It was learnt that the ED has this time summoned the TMC MP Dev to its Delhi office on February 21.
It was learnt that the central probe agency sent the summon via e-mail and asked Dev to report at their Delhi office on February 21 by 11 am. The MP has been asked to come to the office with some documents. Sources said that the central agency has summoned him in relation to a case under PMLA. TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said that Dev was summoned by ED because he has clarified that he will remain with Trinamool Congress. The BJP were hopeful that he may join their party but since that did not happen an ED notice has reached him. He remarked that such moves are nothing short of “political vendetta”.
Even though the MP was unavailable for his reaction to this development, sources close to him said that he has assured that he will appear before the central agency every time he is summoned and answer all questions posed to him. He said he will extend all cooperation from his side. Earlier, Dev was summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in relation to the cattle smuggling along Indo-Bangladesh border.
TMC leader Anubrata Mondal is lodged in Tihar jail in relation to this case. However, TMC has hit out against the BJP with blazing guns. The party alleged that it is yet another instance where the Centre is using the central agency as a political tool. The party wrote on X: “@BJP4India can sense their grasp on power slipping away and it has prompted a frenziED response. Staring in the face of impending defeat, they have resorted to a familiar tactic – misusing Central Investigative Agencies. The recent summons issued by @dir_ed to our MP@idevadhikari goes to show the extent to which the BJP leadership is once again scarED, rattlED and perturbED!”
Meanwhile, on Thursday, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari shared a clip in social media and alleged that it contained a conversation between one Kalipada Pati and a “client”.
He alleged that Pati is an agent of TMC leaders Manik Bhattacharya and Partha Chatterjee in Dantan, West Midnapore. Suvendu wrote that “WB Govt Jobs for Sale nexus is very much active”. Refuting it, TMC leader Aroop Biswas wrote on X: “@SuvenduWB, aren’t you the same person named by Saradha Chairman for exhorting crores for your Contai Municipality projects? Caught red-handed on camera accepting a bribe of Rs. 5 lakh? Now, you are preaching about corruption! How do you even sleep at night with such high levels of hypocrisy?”