The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday summoned Trinamul Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee for questioning on Tuesday (October 3) when he was scheduled to lead the party’s protests in Delhi against the BJP government at the Centre.

Abhishek’s parents, Amit and Lata Banerjee (chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s brother and sister-in-law), have also purportedly been summoned by the ED for an appearance next week. Their names feature on the list of directors of Leaps and Bounds Private Limited, currently being probed by the ED. Abhishek is the chief executive officer of the company.

This is the fourth time in a little over four months that the Trinamul national general secretary has been issued summons by a central probe agency on days of his prior-announced political programmes.

“Earlier this month, the ED summoned me on a day coinciding with an important coordinating meeting of #INDIA in Delhi. I dutifully appeared and complied with the served summons,” Abhishek posted on X on Thursday.

“Now, today yet again they have served me another summons to appear before them on a day when the protest agitation for West Bengal’s rightful dues is scheduled in Delhi on 3rd Oct. This stark revelation unequivocally exposes those who are truly perturbED, rattlED and scarED!” he added.

A senior Trinamul MP said: “He (Abhishek) will be in Delhi with 600-odd elected representatives and leaders of the party, besides 2,000 deprived 100-day job cardholders from Bengal, from Sunday,” said a senior Trinamul MP.

Trinamul lined up the programmes in Delhi to protest against the Centre’s pause on the release of funds due to Bengal under several schemes, including the MGNREGS.

Mamata might be unable to attend the protest programmes in Delhi as she was advised to rest by doctors following an injury she had suffered to her left knee during the business trip to Spain last week.

“Given our supreme leader’s (Mamata) unlikelihood of being there, Abhishek is all we have. As of now, the decision is that he will write to them (ED) and seek another date,” the Trinamul MP said.

The plan for the protest programmes in Delhi has already undergone several changes.

Over 2,000 job card holders who would be part of the
Delhi programmes are set to leave by a special train on Saturday.

In order to share the details of Trinamul’s protest plans, Abhishek is scheduled to conduct a virtual session on Friday with the party’s rank and file.

The agencies started probing Leaps and Bounds Private Limited in connection with alleged irregularities in recruitment to state-aided schools.