Trinamul Congress on Tuesday expelled two leaders of its youth wing, Santanu Banerjee and Kuntal Ghosh, who had been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the school recruitment scam.
This is the first time Trinamul has taken action against anybody arrested for alleged involvement in the scam since the suspension from the party of former secretary-general and minister Partha Chatterjee last year.
Senior Trinamul leaders and ministers Shashi Panja and Bratya Basu announced the expulsion of Santanu and Kuntal at a news conference and underscored Mamata Banerjee’s “zero tolerance” for graft.
“The party has absolutely nothing to do with any of this. If someone has misused their position in the party to serve their own interests, then the buck stops with them,” said industry minister Panja.
“The party has decided to expel Kuntal and Santanu,” she added.
The ED had arrested Kuntal in January and Santanu last week.
Trinamul is yet to take action against Palashipara MLA Manik Bhattacharya, who had been arrested in connection with the same scam, or its Birbhum strongman Anubrata Mondal, who is in ED’s custody in a cattle smuggling case.
Panja iterated Trinamul’s charge that central agencies were targeting its leaders, though office-bearers of other parties were also involved in the cases.
“Many political parties are involved in recruitment irregularities. But leaders from other parties, who are publicly threatening Trinamul leaders inside the Assembly (a reference to leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari), who have taken bribes on camera, are roaming around freely,” she said.
Education minister Basu demanded interrogation by central agencies of Adhikari and Dilip Ghosh of the BJP in connection with the recruitment scam. “Since the BJP cannot fight us electorally, the party is resorting to politics of revenge,” he said.