Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee on Tuesday threw his weight behind Jyoti Priya Mallick, a senior member of the Mamata Banerjee cabinet, who was arrested on October 27 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for alleged role in a suspected public distribution system (PDS) scam.

Speaker Banerjee told journalists that he found it difficult to believe the allegations against the former food and supplies minister.

“I am unaware of the merits of the case. But as far as I know Jyoti Priya Mallick, from his frequent visits to our Assembly… he used to hold dialogue with everyone, was free and frank,” said the Speaker. “I have been having quite a bit of difficulty trying to believe the allegations of this nature, which have been levelled against him."

Speaker Banerjee joined a growing list of names in Trinamul, starting with chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who backed Mallick, the food and supplies minister for a decade from 2011.

Mallick, now forest minister, was arrested by the ED on October 27 from his Salt Lake home after interrogation on the money trail of suspected PDS irregularities.

The Speaker underscored how Mallick was unwavering in pleading innocence.

“Jyoti Priya Mallick has been repeatedly asserting he is innocent. I too believe the things Jyoti Priya Mallick has been saying are substantial,” he said. “He has been saying these things with such a lot of confidence, conviction."

Mamata has also been steadfast in Mallick’s defence. Many of her trusted lieutenants such as Trinamul state president Subrata Bakshi, urban development minister and Calcutta mayor Firhad Hakim, have issued statements of solidarity and support.

Trinamul’s support for its Habra MLA marked a distinct departure from its public response following the arrest of three of its MLAs by central probe agencies related to the allegedly irregular recruitments in state-aided schools.

The party was largely indifferent to the arrests of Palashipara MLA Manik Bhattacharya (in October last year) and Burwan MLA Jiban Krishna Saha (in April this year) and disowned Behala East MLA Partha Chatterjee (in July last year), then industries minister and party secretary-general.

It is known in the corridors of power that the Trinamul chairperson is very fond of Mallick, affectionately called “Balu”. Her nephew, party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, allegedly does not exactly feel that way.

Mallick handled the large, volatile district of North 24-Parganas almost single-handedly for years, till Abhishek divided its organisational responsibilities among a team of largely his loyalists.

On whether he believes Mallick is innocent, Speaker Banerjee said: “Let’s see what the future holds.... But personally, about Jyoti Priya Mallick, I believe he is a very open-hearted man… I do not think there is any involvement...."