Moments after emerging from the Central Government office complex, where he was grilled by the Enforcement Directorate for more than six hours in the coal smuggling case, Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Friday spitted fire on Union Home Minister Amit Shah, calling him the real perpetrator of coal and cattle smuggling.
“If a cow is smuggled out of the country and the BSF cannot stop it and if coal is smuggled away from the mines and the CISF that guards it cannot prevent it then it is the controlling authorities of these two forces which are to be blamed … So both cow and coal scams are the scams of Home Minister Amit Shah whose Ministry controls these forces and no one else,” Banerjee who was reportedly asked “very uncomfortable questions” by the ED said. Banerjee was twice questioned by the CBI and ED earlier. His sister-in-law, too, has been summoned by the central agency on Monday.
Banerjee’s attack on Shah also came hours after the Supreme Court provided him a temporary relief extending on Friday the interim stay on his arrest for another couple of days. The Apex Court directed the ED not to take any strong step against the TMC leader till Monday.
Going all guns blazing against the Home Minister, Banerjee who is also the nephew of Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Shah was the “biggest Pappu” he had seen. “The jallads (killers) of Delhi have been defeated in 2021 elections … so they are trying to victimise the our leaders knowing well that the TMC is the only thorn in their path … But they cannot make me bow before them … I will never surrender before them … If they can prove that I have embezzled even five paisa then I am ready to hang,”
Banerjee who is also a party MP from Diamond Harbour said adding failing to defeat the Bengal ruling outfit politically “they are trying to arrest BJP me so that they can get an empty goalpost … But that is not going to happen.”
Wondering why ED and CBI were not sent in BJP-ruled States like Gujarat, MP, UP and Assam and why they were only sent to opposition-ruled states the TMC leader who also claimed that Bengal Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari had telephonic conversations with fugitive TMC leader and prime accused in the coal scam Vinay Mishra some 6-8 months ago.
“Suvendu Adhikari had held telephonic conversations with Vinay Mishra who has allegedly fled to a foreign country … I dare Adhikari babu to file a defamation suit against me … I am ready to furnish the audio details before the court … He had a talk with Vinay Mishra some 6-8 months ago when he had assured him of handling his case in India,” Banerjee said.
Mishra was the vice president of TMC Yuva, the youth organisation of the party once led by junior Banerjee. The accused has since fled the country and is presently living in Bhaniatu where he is known to have acquired the citizenship after surrendering his Indian credentials. Adhikari however would not deny Banerjee’s charges directly and when asked to comment on allegations brought by him. He however brought counter-allegations linking some foreign accounts to Banerjee’s wife.
“First let him answer whether money was transferred to the account of one Ms Rujira Narula in Thailand … first let him answer this then I will answer other questions,” Adhikari said.