‘Central agencies targeting Oppn leaders; smear campaign going on against TMC’

Kolkata: Claiming that since 2014 out of all cases registered by ED and CBI against political leaders over 95 per cent of them targeted the Opposition, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) alleged that “for the past few months, Central agencies are particularly targeting TMC during their investigation despite the involvement of several other political parties. A smear campaign is going on against our party”.

TMC leaders Shashi Panja and Bratya Basu, addressing a press conference on Tuesday, informed that the party has expelled youth leaders, Kuntal Ghosh and Shantanu Banerjee.

Both the TMC youth leaders were arrested by the ED due to their alleged involvement in the School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam.

“We do not tolerate any corruption. The party had made its stance clear on previous occasions too when it suspended Partha Chatterjee,” said the leaders.

TMC clarified its stand after names of kith and kin of TMC leaders cropped up in the list of the candidates who recently lost their jobs following the order of the Calcutta High Court.

The party further stated that it expelled both of them as it will not shield anyone involved in corruption while also demanding action against members of Opposition parties whose names allegedly came up in the list of candidates recruited illegally.

Panja said: “It is important to mention that although the TMC has maintained transparency and taken action against its party members, the Opposition parties have not taken any action after the names of their members surfaced in the list of 57 candidates.”

Mentioning some of the names, Panja said the name of the daughter of B JP leader Dulal Chandra Bar was in the list and so was the name of the daughter of a CPI(M) leader from Kalna, Birendranath Basu Mallick. BJP members Himadri Maity, Pradip Kanthal and several others are in the list, she alleged and questioned: “Why are these people not being arrested by Central agencies and interrogated?”

She added: “Party-holders, leaders, and elected representatives from Trinamool are being attacked in multiple ways with an intention to cause damage to their prestige and reputation.”

Panja further alleged that BJP leaders whose names cropped in corruption cases even outside Bengal were being shielded. “Large-scale corruption is underway in Karnataka as well. A BJP MLA is at the centre of the matter involving Rs 8 crore cash which was recovered from the BJP leader’s house. Do you know who fought for them to ensure bail? BJP,” she claimed.

“When Himanta Biswa Sarma switched to BJP, even the Home minister refrained from saying anything about his involvement in the scam. When Amit Shah was questioned about Sarma’s corruption, he first deflected the question and then refused to answer,” alleged Panja.

Alluding to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, she said that BJP leaders against whom evidence of corruption is present are being spared. “BJP itself had uploaded a video on social media of a politician accepting a bribe in the Narada case. After he joined the saffron brigade the party removed the video but it is still in the public domain. This proves that even if you are accused of corruption you will remain protected by joining BJP,” she said.

Bratya Basu asked: “Is TMC being attacked because we have won three consecutive terms with an overwhelming mandate? How is it that the Opposition party leaders are not being called by the Central agencies? Central probe agencies should not work with such bias.”