When will ED and CBI summon Suvendu in Narada case: TMC asks Union Min

Kolkata: With Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan questioning why Abhishek Banerjee is “scared” of Central agency probe, Trinamool Congress (TMC) lashed out at the minister asking when the BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari be summoned in connection with the Narada bribery case.

The Union minister Pradhan, who is visiting the state, questioned why Abhishek Banerjee, TMC MP and party’s national general secretary, is scared of Central probe agency and running to courts for protection.

He said that if indeed Banerjee is not guilty of the charges levelled against him then he should have nothing to worry about.

He added that it is not just the recruitment corruption case but there are several other cases, including coal smuggling and cattle smuggling, among others which have taken place in this state. His comments come a day after Abhishek was summoned by the ED and interrogated for eight and a half hours in connection with the recruitment corruption case.

TMC has hit back at the minister saying he should not talk about corruption. TMC leader Shashi Panja said: “The Union minister should not even talk about corruption. His party MLA Suvendu Adhikari, was seen taking money on camera. Why was he not summoned by the central probe agency? This is because the BJP is like a washing machine. All stains get removed”. She added: “It was clear that Abhishek was called by the ED to stop him from attending the INDIA bloc’s coordination committee meeting.”

Further, referring to the recent incident where the MoS, Ministry of Education, Subhas Sarkar was recently locked up inside the BJP party office by the saffron brigade’s workers, Panja asked why doesn’t Pradhan talk about it?

On Wednesday, Banerjee challenged the ED to prove that proceeds of crime from the alleged recruitment corruption in the state’s education sector have entered the company Leaps and Bounds Pvt Ltd. He called his interrogation a futile exercise.