Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, arrested in connection with the alleged ration scam, said on Friday that he had been framed by the BJP and that chief minister Mamata Banerjee was aware of everything.
“Mamatadi jaane (Mamatadi is aware). Purotai jaane (She is aware of everything). Mamatadi, Abhishek Bandyopadhaya shob jaane (Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee know everything),” Mallick told journalists on his way to Command Hospital in Alipore for a health check-up from the office of the Enforcement Directorate at the CGO Complex in Salt Lake.
Since his arrest in the early hours of October 27, Mallick, the former minister in charge of food and civil supplies, had avoided uttering the name of Mamata and the party. He has been toeing the Trinamul narrative by blaming the BJP — including leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, for the arrest by the central investigating agency.
Mallick said on Friday: “Aamke fansano hoyechey BJP ke diye. Dol er sathe chilam, aachi, thakbo eta porishkar jene nin (I have been framed by the BJP. Let this be clear that I was, am and will continue to be with the party).”
“BJP amake fansiyechhey ebong aami muktyo. Chaar din baadey aami muktyo (The BJP has framed me but I am free, I will be free after four days,” Mallick said.
“Mamatadi shob jaane. Kichhu din-er moddhey satya prakash hoye jaabey (Mamata knows everything. The truth will surface in a few days),” the minister in charge of forest, non-conventional and renewable energy affairs added.
Mallick’s statement about Mamata and Abhishek, coming within days of the Trinamul chief throwing her weight behind the arrested leader, left a section in the party embarrassed. The Opposition parties lost no time in lapping up mthe issue.
“Why drag Mamata Banerjee’s name in everything?” asked Kalyan Banerjee, Trinamul’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha. “’Mamata and Abhishek are aware of everything.’ What does it mean?” Kalyan, who had first flagged alleged corruption in the state’s public distribution system almost a decade ago, said.
Mamata on Wednesday stood by Mallick and went to the extent of praising his
efforts towards digitising ration cards. She even credited Mallick with implementing several reforms in the distribution system of food grain supplies.
“Of course, he is a minister of the government. But how many know that he worked for digitisation of ration cards and how that cancelled one crore fake ration cards?” the chief minister said on Wednesday when she was asked by the media at Nabanna whether Mallick’s arrest by the central agency was a result of the BJP’s political vendetta.
The BJP referred to Mallick’s comments to bolster its claim that the party was
not involved in the alleged scam.
“When a Trinamul leader says Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee are aware of the irregularities (in the public distribution system), it proves the BJP has nothing to do with it,” said Rahul Sinha, a state BJP leader.
CPM leader Sujan Chakraborty said Mallick’s comments suggested that irregularities had taken place and that the chief minister was aware.
“It is true that the chief minister knows everything. From irregularities in the ration distribution system to school jobs, everywhere there is a scam and the chief minister is aware of it all,” Chakraborty said.
