TMC names 6 leaders, asks why probe over corruption not initiated against them by ED, CBI

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday slammed the Narendra Modi-led Centre and its agencies for not initiating any investigation against six BJP leaders whose assets allegedly increased disproportionately in the past few years.

“If Central agencies are neutral, summon corrupt BJP leaders with meteoric increase in their assets,” said senior Trinamool Congress leaders Shashi Panja & Partha Bhowmick during a press conference on Monday.

“Since BJP is aware of their impending defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, they are targeting Trinamool Congress and will continue to do so till the elections,” they said. Trinamool leaders also mentioned the names of the BJP leaders and demanded a probe against them.

“We are going to list the names of six such leaders associated with the BJP or are inclined towards the BJP whose assets increased. They are Rameshwar Teli, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Saumitra Khan, Jagdambika Pal, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Sisir Adhikari. On one hand, BJP leaders claim that the Central agencies are non-partisan but on the other hand, they roam around issuing threats of ED-CBI raids. If the ED and CBI are as neutral as they claim, why aren’t these six leaders receiving at least a notice from the Central agencies?” asked Panja. This shows that “Na Khaunga Na Khaane Doonga” basically means they will vouch for “Khaane Doonga” philosophy if the corrupt are in the BJP, said Bhowmick.

Trinamool Congress leaders alleged that Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas & Labour and Employment and BJP MP Rameshwar Teli’s assets jumped 2354 per cent from Rs 9.77 lakh in 2014 to Rs 2.40 crore in 2023. What else would explain BJP’s induction of Jyotiraditya Scindia, whose assets jumped from Rs 33 crore in 2014 to Rs 374 crore in 2019 registering an increase of 1032 per cent, Trinamool questioned.

“BJP Washing Machine is always ready to take in corrupt leaders and hand them licenses to continue their corruption in exchange for helping the BJP maintain power. From Rs 11.97 lakh in 2014 to Rs 86.56 lakh in 2019, BJP MP Saumitra Khan’s assets grew by over 623 per cent between 2014 and 2019. BJP MP Jagdambika Pal’s assets jumped from Rs 1.78 crore in 2014 to Rs 10 crore in 2019 — five years after joining BJP,” Trinamool leaders said adding: “Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma is involved in multiple corruption cases. His assets jumped from Rs 6.38 crore in 2014 to Rs 17.27 crore in 2019 reporting a 170 per cent jump. Interestingly, the BJP itself had released a booklet accusing him of being a “key suspect” in a multi-crore Louis Berger scam before he joined the BJP.”

“They also said that between 2011 and 2012, Sisir Adhikari’s wealth soared from Rs 15 lakh (in 2011) to over Rs 10 crore (in 2012). This is a 6566 per cent increase in wealth in just a matter of one year! In the Election Commission affidavit, the same person’s wealth came down to Rs 1.94 crore in 2014. Who was this money given to?” Trinamool asked.