TMC questions 'coal mafia’s' meeting with Union minister

Kolkata: Amidst BJP’s allegation that TMC heavyweights are involved in a coal scam, the Trinamool Congress on Friday raised questions over the alleged meeting between Union minister Pralhad Joshi and 'coal kingpin' Joydeb Khan and claimed that the central investigative agencies were deliberately ignoring this nexus.

Taking to Twitter, TMC national secretary Abhishek Banerjee said, “I wonder what Minister @JoshiPralhad is doing with the coal mafia, Joydeb Khan! Is he discussing ways of filling @BJP4India’s pockets or congratulating him on siphoning the nation’s resources? The @dir_ed and the CBI have conveniently ignored this MAFIA-MINISTER NEXUS.”

TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh at a press conference shared photographs of the Joshi with Khan and questioned whether the two were discussing when and where the next phase of coal smuggling will take place.

“This is the same BJP, whose leaders cannot sleep at night, as they are worried about coal smuggling. Before questioning others, BJP leaders should answer these few questions,” said Ghosh.

Ghosh also questioned the Central government’s repeated and baseless attacks on TMC over alleged coal smuggling in the state.

“It is the central government, which is in charge of coal mining in the country, and not the state government. Even the security guards outside the coal mines are CRPF and central forces and not the state police. So, if the BJP leaders say that there’s coal smuggling going on in Bengal, why aren’t they questioning the central forces,” further asked Ghosh.

However, the saffron camp claimed that since Joydeb Khan is a BJP worker and TMC is trying to ‘malign’ him.