'PerturbED, ScarED': TMC's Abhishek Banerjee Reacts To Fresh ED Summons In Teachers' Recruitment Scam

Banerjee said the day coincides with that of the party's protest rally in Delhi against the Centre's decision to withhold the state's dues under MGNREGA, which he is supposed to lead.

File photo of Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee

Source : PTI Images

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday (September 28) reacted strongly to a fresh summons from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), scheduled for October 3, in connection with the Kolkata school jobs scam. In a post on X, Banerjee said the timing of the summons, which coincides with a planned protest in Delhi on October 3, demanding West Bengal's rightful dues.

"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," he said.

Banerjee shared the letter sent to him by the central agency. 

"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!" his post read. 

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! pic.twitter.com/ysAy3qhqOu

— Abhishek Banerjee (@abhishekaitc) September 28, 2023

Reacting to the development, TMC State General Secretary Kunal Ghosh said that the BJP is scared of Abhishek Banerjee. Accusing the BJP of misusing central agencies, Ghosh said: "BJP is scared of TMC and Abhishek Banerjee. Whenever a political programme of Abhishek approaches, BJP misuses central agencies and summons him. Last time, they called him on the date of the INDIA Alliance meeting. On 2-3 October, there will be programmes of TMC in Delhi and Abhishek is going there to attend it. They have now summoned him on 3rd October. This is a politically vindictive step of the BJP. Abhishek will do whatever is to be done on a particular date."

#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal | TMC State General Secretary Kunal Ghosh says, "BJP is scared of TMC and Abhishek Banerjee. Whenever a political programme of Abhishek approaches, BJP misuses central agencies and summons him. Last time, they called him on the date of the INDIA… https://t.co/TkAexIrUoH pic.twitter.com/gpWz9Qqo36

— ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2023

Reacting to the development, BJP state secretary Priyanka Tibrewal stated, "It is not only Abhishek Banerjee who has been questioned again; this time it is Abhishek's mother, Lata Banerjee, and his father, Amit Banerjee, both of whom have been questioned. Now, the fact remains that the company in question is growing by leaps and bounds, and all three of them are directors in that company. Now, we see that Abhishek Banerjee has just tweeted that someone is rattled and perturbed. So, who is rattled and perturbed is quite visible."

"There are still unanswered questions. So these unanswered questions must be addressed because the High Court has ordered the agencies to investigate Abhishek Banerjee's assets. So a member of parliament can only have three policies, all of which are life insurance policies. And the fact remains that the bungalow and various other properties are visible to the naked eye. So, in light of all of this, some questions must be addressed. So they have been questioned, and it has nothing to do with anything else," she said, according to ANI.

#WATCH | Kolkata: After ED summons TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee in connection with the Teachers' recruitment scam case, BJP state secretary Priyanka Tibrewal says, "It is not only that Abhishek Banerjee has been asked once again for questioning, this time it is Abhishek's mother,… pic.twitter.com/F4VvaiTQgj

— ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2023

Earlier in August, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had said that it had seized "incriminating documents and digital evidence" during raids at multiple locations in Kolkata linked to Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee in connection with the alleged teachers' recruitment scam.

As part of its ongoing money laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in teacher recruitment, the federal agency had conducted searches at three of the firm's premises, Leaps and Bounds Pvt. Ltd. The ED said in a statement that the action was taken against Sujay Krishna Bhadra, the arrested accused in the case.

The raids occurred a day after Abhishek Banerjee, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew, returned to Kolkata from the United States, where he had sought eye treatment.