New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday trained her guns on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) amid the ongoing row over irregularities in the School Service Commission (SSC) appointments and alleged the ruling dispensation at the Centre is running a “Tughlaqi regime” in the nation and using central agencies to “settle political scores”. “The BJP is running a ‘Tughlaqi’ regime (referring to 14th-century Delhi sultan Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq who was known to be willful) in the country and is trying to divide the nation,” she said at a public meeting in Jhargram, PTI reported.
“It is controlling central agencies and using those to settle political scores,” Banerjee added.
Stating a lot of things are being said about “discrepancies in recruitment”, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo said the people are “well aware of those who are involved in corruption”.
“They don't like such people neither do I. If someone has committed any wrong, the law will take its own course,” she added.
Claiming that there were many discrepancies in government recruitment during the erstwhile Left Front regime in West Bengal, Banerjee said that she would “reveal the irregularities soon”.
“But this vilification campaign should stop. During the Left regime, transfers were made and jobs were given by writing down names on paper. I will reveal the irregularities soon,” she said.
Banerjee said if there is “anything wrong” then it should be “rectified through proper law”.
“But if the BJP thinks it can silence us by brute force, it is wrong. It lost the assembly poll but have no shame. BJP now thinks that it can gain some ground before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls,” she added.
The TMC supremo alleged that the “BJP has systematically planted its people in all institutions and destroyed them”.
“They have done the same with ED and CBI. They could not unseat me and are now jealous of me,” she said.
Banerjee’s outburst came a day after West Bengal minister and TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee was quizzed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for over three hours in connection with irregularities in appointments in government schools in the state.
Chatterjee appeared before the CBI sleuths following an order by the Calcutta High Court, which termed the irregularities made in the recruitment process a “public scam”.
The CBI had summoned two ministers - Partha Chatterjee and Paresh Adhikari, the Minister of State for Education Paresh Chandra Adhikari, in connection with the scam.
Banerjee also cautioned the TMC workers against indulging in corruption.
“The TMC workers and leaders should work as one unit, no one should think they are above party rules and discipline. If someone comes to seek help, you should help that person and please don't seek money from him,” Banerjee told the party workers.
“Those who think themselves to be above the party will be removed from it,” she added.
West Bengal BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar hit back at Banerjee and said that she should first ask her ministers, who have been summoned by the CBI in the SSC scam, to resign.
“Then she can point fingers at others,” he added.
The CPI (M) rubbished Banerjee’s allegations and said she is trying to divert attention by doing so.
“The allegations are baseless. If there was any wrongdoing in recruitment during the Left rule, let TMC prove it. We are not afraid of any investigation,” said CPI (M) leader Sujan Chakraborty.