Two days after senior minister Partha Chatterjee’s arrest, chief minister Mamata Banerjee today said she does not support “corruption or any wrong doing” and if anyone is found guilty then he should be life-imprisoned while distancing herself from the Trinamul Congress leader added that her party never spares the guilty, even if he’s a minister. Miss Banerjee nonetheless said that it was to be seen whether the incident occurred or was created. “We don’t know what had actually happened and whether it was a trap or not,” she said. She further said that BJP was wrong if it thought it can break her party by engaging agencies saying: “If anyone is found guilty, he or she must be punished, but I condemn any malicious campaign against me. The truth must come out but within a time frame.” State commerce and industry minister Chatterjee was arrested on Saturday on money-laundering charges linked to the school jobs scam.
He was accused of allegedly illegal appointments of school teachers and staff in government-run schools when he was education minister. Around Rs 20 crore in cash was found from the house of a close associate of Mr Chatterjee, Arpita Mukherjee. Mr Chatterjee was arrested after midnight. The Enforcement Directorate said the minister was in contact with Miss Mukherjee and that the cash found in her home was “proceeds of crime”. Meanwhile, an Arrest Memo of ED revealed that Mr Chatterjee had made three calls to the chief minister after his arrest but all three went unanswered. He had chosen Miss Banerjee for his call to a “relative/friend whom the person taken in custody intends to inform”. His first call to her, after his arrest at around 1.55 am, was made at 2.33 am. He called again at 3.37 am and 9.35 am, but without luck.
The Trinamul Congress had denied the calls. Senior leader Firhad Hakim had said yesterday that there was “no question” of the arrested minister calling Mamata Banerjee as his phone was with the Enforcement Directorate. Addressing a programme to award Bangabhusan, Bangabibhusan and Mahanayak Samman at Nazrul Mancha today, Miss Banerjee said: “I’m extremely sad and shocked. I can’t believe that anyone could do such a thing. “Please remember, an injured tigress can be dangerous. Please do not play with fire. If anyone has done wrong, prosecute him. But do not touch me. I know how to fight back, for I have done nothing wrong.
Take three month time, but get to the bottom of the SSC scam, use fast-track courts and within three months get to the bottom of this. If anyone is found guilty then action should be taken against him,” she added. Condemning the CPI-M and BJP for dragging her name into the controversy, Miss Banerjee said: “Don’t try to involve me in this. If you touch me, I know how to fight it out. I have never bowed down before any threat. If you smear ink on me then I will smear coal tar. You should remember that I also know everything about your skeletons. Shall I also bring out photos of your leaders?” she asked adding: “We would neither interfere in the judicial process nor extend our support.” Miss Banerjee said that the SSC case pertains to some years back but it wasn’t reported in the media right then. “Over 1 lakh people have got jobs, and if there are 200 complaints, what about the 1 lakh who got the jobs? Anyone who has committed a crime, should and will be brought to book. But a media trial before the verdict is something I will not support,” she said.
Asserting that she did not support corruption or any wrongdoing, Miss Banerjee said: “Supporting corruption is neither my passion nor profession. If I didn’t say anything today then people would have said that I am afraid but I don’t fear anyone. Our government does not support any thief or dacoit.” She said that she is entitled to get Rs 1 lakh Parliament pension and Rs 2 lakh as CM but she has not drawn a single penny out of this monthly Rs 3 lakh in the last 11 years. “I did not take any salary when I was Railway minister. Mine is a voluntary service. I always pay for my tea. The money I get is from the royalty of my books, some of which are bestsellers and for writing lyrics of songs.
Miss Banerjee said that the woman (Arpita) is not related to either her party or her government. “I went to a Durga Puja pandal where the organisers had invited a woman on the stage. This woman is learnt to be the ex-education minister’s (Partha Chatterjee) friend. Now how am I supposed to know this?” she questioned. “And if that is the case, then what about Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, who were seen clicking photos with the Prime Minister himself? What about the PM Cares Fund?” she questioned. Miss Banerjee also questioned the reason behind shifting Mr Chatterjee to AIIMS Bhubaneswar for treatment despite premier hospitals like SSKM, RG Kar, NRS and other medical colleges in the state.
“We have so many reputed government medical colleges and hospitals as well as private nursing homes here. But instead of these institutions, why do you want to take him to AIIMS Bhubaneswar and Commando Hospital? The main aim is to opt for an institute that has a central government’s touch. What is the intention behind such a move? This is an insult to Bengal,” she said. Complaining about delayed justice, Miss Banerjee said justice is yet to be delivered for the Tapasi Mallick murder and Nandigram incident. “Even though the Sarada scam occurred during the Left Front’s regime, our people were nabbed for it and though 10 years have passed, no one knows the fate of the case. Again, 22 years have passed but CBI is yet to recover Rabindranath Tagore’s Nobel,” she said.