'I'll not be a pet dog of Delhi': Abhishek Banerjee after CBI grilling in Bengal recruitment scam

Kolkata: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday interrogated Trinamool Congress (TMC) national secretary Abhishek Banerjee for over nine hours to comply with Calcutta High Court’s order. This investigation was a part of the ongoing probe in the recruitment scam in West Bengal.

After coming out from the CBI headquarters in Kolkata, Banerjee said that the summary of the interrogation was ‘zero’.

“The CBI is probing the recruitment scam for the last one year, Saradha ponzi scam for the last 10 years and also the lost Nobel prize of Rabindranath Tagore for the last 15 years but nothing fruitful has been seen,” said Banerjee.

Without naming anyone, the TMC national secretary claimed that the names about which the central agency asked him most of them belong to East Midnapore and Murshidabad and all knows who was in charge of these places earlier.

Banerjee targets BJP after CBI questioning

“I don’t blame the CBI as they are also under pressure. Just because the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is failing to fight with TMC politically, they are resorting to such things. Saradha ponzi scam kingpin has taken the name of LoP Suvendu Adhikari, Congress state president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, CPI (M) leader Sujan Chakraborty but the central agency has never quizzed them,” further alleged Banerjee.

Earlier on Saturday before visiting the Nizam Palace, Banerjee had sent a letter to the CBI informing that he has 'preferred' a Special Leave Petition (SLP) to the Supreme Court and the hearing for which is on May 22.

“After SLP I could have missed the quizzing but as I said I will cooperate with the investigation I came here. My stand is very clear. Instead of wasting time if the agencies have anything against me they should bring it to light and I am ready to get prosecuted,” mentioned the TC national secretary.

'I will not be a pet dog of Delhi'

“I was not even given 24 hours before being present before the central agency. I thought that I would be given at least 48 hours. The BJP is afraid to see the success of our public connect programme for which they tried to disrupt it. But with more zeal it will restart from Monday. Instead of being the pet dog of Delhi, I would prefer to be a Royal Bengal Tiger. The pressure given by central agencies will not let us down,” said Banerjee.

Taking to Twitter, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee added, “On this day, in 2011, we were sworn in to replace a 34- year- old monster regime and to usher in the Ma Mati Manush government in West Bengal. We renew the pledge today and re- dedicate ourselves to the cause of the people. The agency-raj of an authoritarian government at the centre makes our task challenging, but millions over the country are with us in our march. Long live 20 May.”