|
Launching a scathing attack on the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal over the arrest of sitting minister Jyotipriya Mallick in a ration 'scam' case, BJP leader Dilip Ghosh on Saturday said all ruling party leaders involved in corruption would be put behind bars.
Saying several leaders of the ruling party were already in jail in connection with graft cases, the BJP MP from Paschim Medinipur said, "Many TMC leaders like Jyotipriya Mallik are already in jail and many more are about to follow in their footsteps. Every leader in the TMC is neck-deep in corruption and their family members, relatives, and the party itself are also in on it." An Enforcement Directorate (ED) team on late Thursday night arrested West Bengal minister Jyotipriya Mallick in connection with an alleged case of corruption in the public distribution system (PDS). He was sent to ED custody till November 6 on Friday. Mallick is currently the state minister for Forest Affairs and previously led the Food and Civil Supplies department. Speaking to ANI, BJP leader said properties worth crores belonging to the arrested Bengal minister are now being unearthed. "Now property worth crores are coming to the fore. His Personal Assistant (PA) had many flats. The central agencies should get to the bottom of this corruption," he said. "ED is investigating (the matter), we hope that everyone (TMC leaders) involved in corruption will go to jail," Ghosh added. Also reacting to the 'cash for query' allegations against TMC MP Mahua Moitra, Ghosh said she undermined and insulted the country's democracy, Constitution and the Lok Sabha, of which she is a member, should be "punished". "The Ethics Panel (of Parliament) is looking into the matter and has summoned her for questioning (on November 2). The Lok Sabha (Secretariat) will act on the basis of the panel's report," he added. The Bengal minister's arrest came a day after the ED conducted searches at his residence in Salt Lake, on the outskirts of Kolkata. As media persons jostled and gathered around the minister while he was being whisked away by the ED sleuths, with the help of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel, the minister said he was the "victim of a grave conspiracy". The ED has been carrying out searches in connection with an alleged case of corruption in ration distribution. Earlier this year, the ED had arrested former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and his aide Arpita Mukherjee, in connection with the teachers' recruitment scam, after the recovery of huge cash from the latter's residence. Both are facing a probe into the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment scam, according to the ED. The TMC's Burbhum district president Anubrata Mondal had also been arrested earlier in connection with a cattle smuggling case. The chief minister's nephew and the TMC's heavyweight leader, Abhishek Banerjee, has also been summoned and questioned by the ED on many occasions in connection with an alleged coal 'scam' case. (ANI)
|
