TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, after coming out of the ED office here, said on Thursday that he has nothing to hide and is always ready to cooperate with the central agency in its probe into the alleged school jobs scam in West Bengal.
Banerjee appeared before ED officers around 11.10 AM and came out of the central agency's office just after noon.
The TMC MP said he submitted around a 6,000-page reply to the agency and all the documents demanded by it.
Banerjee was not questioned by the agency's officers, a senior officer said. "Mr Banerjee was not asked any question today by our officers. He submitted the documents and left," the officer told PTI. The probe agency will take a call on whether to summon the party's national general secretary again after verifying the documents, he added.
“I have always cooperated with the ED for probe. I have nothing to hide. I will appear before the ED if I am summoned again. I have submitted my detailed reply with all necessary documents,” he told reporters outside the central agency's office here.
Coming out in support of party MP Mahua Moitra, embroiled in ‘cash-for-query’ controversy, Banerjee said whoever is questioning the government is being "harassed" by the BJP-led NDA dispensation at the Centre.
Banerjee, the TMC national general secretary, questioned how action can be initiated against an MP without proving an iota of allegations against her.
“Whoever is questioning the government on the Adani issue is being harassed. How can the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee take any action against Mahua Moitra even before the allegations are proved against her? "The committee is yet to take any action against BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri, but is very prompt in taking action against opposition MPs, who are fighting against the government and its policies,” Banerjee said.
The TMC leader lauded Moitra for being capable enough to fight the battle.
The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee looking into the "cash-for-query" allegations against TMC MP Mahua Moitra is learnt to have recommended her expulsion from the Lower House of Parliament on the grounds of "unethical conduct" having an impact on national security.
"If they don't have any proof then how can the Ethics Committee recommend expulsion ?" Banerjee questioned.
The committee headed by BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar is meeting later on Thursday to adopt its draft report in what is likely to be contested by opposition members of the panel.
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