ED Summons TMC National Secretary Abhishek Banerjee & Wife Rujira In Coal Smuggling Case

West Bengal's chief minister and TMC supremo, Mamata Banerjee lashed out at the center and criticised ED and CBI for "behaving like caged parrots".

All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee speaks to the media after appearing before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal pilferage scam on September 6, 2021 | (File Photo/ Getty Images)

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Abhishek Banerjee, the national general secretary of Trinamool Congress (TMC) to Delhi next week in connection with a coal smuggling case. The agency also summoned Banerjee's wife, Rujira in the same case. 

This happens after the Delhi High Court dismissed Abhishek Banerjee's plea to quash the summon that was issued to him by ED, in the alleged coal scam case.  

The ED also summoned West Bengal minister Moloy Ghatak in the same case, while the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has summoned TMC's Birbhum district chief Anubrata Mondal.

Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons TMC national secretary Abhishek Banerjee and his wife Rujira Banerjee next week, in connection with an alleged coal scam

(file photo) pic.twitter.com/V1KJB0SDWy

— ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2022

West Bengal's chief minister and TMC supremo, Mamata Banerjee lashed out at the center and criticised ED and CBI for "behaving like caged parrots". "Agencies like CBI and ED are being used shamelessly. Whatever the Centre is dictating to them, these agencies are doing it. Only opposition parties are being slapped with CBI cases," said Mamata Banerjee.

"CBI cannot be used to suppress opposition," the CM of West bengal was quoted saying in TOI.

The West Bengal CM was furious also because her nephew, Abhishek, and his wife were asked to appear in Delhi and not in Kolkata. 

The ruling Trinamool Congress continued its electoral gains in West Bengal, bagging 102 of the 108 municipalities in the recently concluded elections. The BJP, which has emerged as the main opposition party in West Bengal, failed to win even a single civic body. The saffron party won 77 seats in the assembly polls last year.