No links with money recovered by ED: TMC
KOLKATA: Demanding speedy inquiry into the alleged recruitment scam, Trinamool Congress on Sunday reiterated that the party neither had any links with the money recovered by Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials on Friday nor was connected to the woman whose house was raided by the sleuths.
Party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said: "Trinamool Congress has no links to the particular lady. She is not in Trinamool Congress. We have no connection with the amount recovered by ED." Referring to Partha Chatterjee's arrest, Ghosh said: "We demand a time-bound inquiry in the Partha Chatterjee case because we have seen the CBI-ED investigation in many cases go on for too long. This gives an advantage to the Opposition that creates a distorted campaign around it." The CBI has been investigating the multi-crore Saradha chit fund case since 2014, while the Narada tapes case, which unfolded ahead of 2016 elections, was also yet to reach any conclusion.
Meanwhile, Calcutta High Court instructed the ED to take former Education minister Partha Chatterjee to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar for treatment.
The court stated that Chatterjee be taken to the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata by an ambulance from the SSKM Hospital, where he is currently getting treated. The court also said that Chatterjee will be accompanied by his advocate and an SSKM doctor.
On Sunday night, Justice Bibek Chaudhuri directed AIIMS, Bhubaneswar that a team of doctors from Cardiology, Nephrology, Medicine and Endocrinology will examine Chatterjee and submit a report by 3 pm on Monday.
Referring to some videos doing the rounds of Arpita Mukherjee — who had been arrested by the ED — at some events that were also attended by Chatterjee and other ministers, Ghosh insisted that many people from different walks of life remain to attend political and social events. "But this woman is in no way related to Trinamool Congress," he said about Mukherjee. Authenticity of such videos has not been checked by Millennium Post.
"Trinamool Congress will not support any wrongdoing. If the investigating agency submits any kind of proof to the court and the latter acknowledges those facts, then TMC will not take a second to announce the next step," he added.
Alleging that TMC leaders were being targeted, he claimed that Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim was arrested by the CBI in 2021 in the Narada sting tapes case, but no action was taken against Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, who is also an accused in the matter.
"Does it mean being in BJP makes one above the law?" he asked. Training his guns on the CPI(M), the TMC spokesperson alleged that several irregularities were committed during the 34-year Left Front rule, but none received prominence as there were fewer media houses and no social media.
On the other hand, Debangshu Bhattacharya, Trinamool Youth Congress leader, on Sunday, demanded stern action against Suvendu Adhikari for circulating a fake video stating that Arpita Mukherjee, arrested by the ED, was present at the July 21 rally.
