‘Tainted leaders get a clean chit from Central agencies as soon as they join BJP’

Our Correspondent

Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Saturday accused the BJP of misusing the Central agencies like the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) and took a jibe at the saffron party by calling it a “washing machine” alluding to a recent case of CBI closing a corruption case against NCP leader Praful Patel.

Trinamool Congress leaders Kunal Ghosh and Ritabrata Banerjee displayed washing machines adorned with the logo of the BJP during a press conference and claimed that those joining the BJP immediately get “clean chits”.

“Praful Patel who was charged for financial irregularities in the Air India deal got a clean chit after he joined NDA. They have registered cases against all these leaders and now they have been purified in BJP’s washing machine using BJP detergent,” Banerjee said. He added that while shutting the case, “the Central probe agency said that there was no evidence of any wrongdoing”.

The case against Praful Patel was registered in 2017 to probe the allegations of irregularities in leasing aircraft for Air India.

Patel was among the senior leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party who broke away from the party and joined hands with the BJP.

The faction led by Ajit Pawar is currently a part of the ruling alliance in Maharashtra along with the BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

Banerjee further claimed that Opposition leaders like Hemant Soren and Arvind Kejriwal who had re-fused to join BJP have been arrested.

“We vehemently condemn the shameless washing machine politics of the BJP. The Central agencies are acting as mere tools to cleanse tainted leaders of corruption stains,” Kunal said.