Following his arrest in connection with an alleged teacher recruitment fraud, dismissed leader and former minister Partha Chatterjee “embarrassed and dishonoured” the Trinamool Congress, claimed MP Saugata Roy on Friday, news agency ANI reported.
Speaking to ANI, Roy said, “I don’t know if Partha is a victim of some conspiracy. He (sacked WB Minister Partha Chatterjee) has embarrassed us and dishonoured our party. We want a complete probe with an appropriate punishment for him and his associates… we took action against him, dropped his ministerial posts and took all party posts.”
Moreover, the TMC distanced itself from Partha when Rs 21 crore in cash was discovered at the home of his close aid Arpita Mukherjee.
The TMC MP stated that the party had no awareness such a thing was going on.
“What happened is a matter of shame. I hope that truth comes to the fore after the investigation. We had no idea that such a thing was taking place. When we came to know about it, we took action. Mamata Banerjee sacked him from the ministerial post,” he was quoted by ANI in its report.
In response to Suvendu Adhikari’s claim that the cash scandal occurred under the supervision of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Roy stated the BJP leader “talks rubbish,” emphasising that Mamata had no knowledge of the events.
“Suvendu Adhikari talks rubbish. Mamata Banerjee had no idea about the ongoing incidents. We condemn Suvendu Adhikari’s attempts to defame the Chief Minister. The matter is under investigation by ED. If Suvendu Adhikari has any proof, he should rather reveal it to ED, not to the media,” he said.
Meanwhile, former Minister Partha Chatterjee claimed that he is being framed in a conspiracy, a day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stripped him of his portfolios and TMC positions on Thursday, days after he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an alleged teacher recruitment scam in which the agency recovered Rs 50 crore.
“I’ve been framed, I’m a victim of conspiracy,” Chatterjee said.
“Partha Chatterjee has been removed from TMC along with the post of General Secretary, National vice president and three other posts. He has been suspended till the investigation is underway,” Abhishek Banerjee was quoted by ANI in its report.
Trinamool Congress, which had been putting distance between itself and its detained leader Partha Chatterjee, removed him from his position as a minister and suspended him from the organisation on Thursday, leaving him free to participate in the Enforcement Directorate investigation into the teacher recruitment scam, which has seen millions of rupees seized from properties connected to his aide Arpita Mukherjee.
(With Inputs From ANI)