TMC trying to make Partha Chatterjee scapegoat: Oppn

The opposition BJP and CPI(M) in West Bengal on Friday claimed that the TMC was trying to distance itself from minister Partha Chatterjee, arrested in the SSC scam, after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she would not spare anyone if found guilty.

Leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP said no one would believe that the TMCs top leadership was unaware of the scam, which allegedly happened when Chatterjee was the education minister.

“Such comments are laughable. The investigating agencies must investigate the money trail. The TMC top brass is now trying to distance itself from Partha Chatterjee as if he is solely responsible for everything. The TMC is trying to make him a scapegoat,” Adhikari said.

“What is stopping the state government from sacking Partha Chatterjee as a cabinet minister? This proves that the TMC supports corruption,” he added.

CPI(M) state secretary Mohammed Salim termed it an old trick of the TMC to distance itself from leaders caught in corruption cases.

“When TMC leaders were arrested in Saradha and Rose Valley scams, the party tried to wash off its hands. Why blame a few leaders when the entire party is structurally corrupt,” he alleged.

Taking on the opposition for a “malicious campaign” launched against her, the chief minister has asserted that she does not support corruption.

“I will not get into the details of the case as it is sub judice. We have full faith in the judiciary. We want a time-bound probe into the matter. If someone is found guilty, the person should be punished accordingly, be it life imprisonment. I wont mind. But, I condemn the malicious campaign against me,” she said, addressing an award function.

Chatterjee, the Industry and Commerce Minister, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday in connection with its investigation into the irregularities in the recruitment drives by the School Service Commission (SSC).

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is auto-published from a syndicated feed.)