Kolkata: BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari claimed that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee got Rs 900 crore from a coal scam.
Releasing an audio clip, businessmen Ganesh Bagariya and Vinay Gupta were heard speaking about the scam.
At a press conference on Sunday, Suvendu claimed that TMC's Abhishek Banerjee, MP from Diamond Harbour and youth wing president, received 900 crore rupees from rackets that smuggled cow, coal and sand.
“Initially, Abhishek Banerjee used to get rupees 15-20 crore a month. Later, the amount increased to rupees 35-40 crore. Inspector Ashok Mishra used to carry the money to him with a police escort,” mentioned Suvendu.
Notably, Ashok, who is also a relative of Vinay Gupta has been arrested by the central agencies from the national capital. Ganesh Bagariya has also been interrogated by the central agencies. Vinay Gupta, who is absconding, his brother Vikas Gupta has also been booked due to the probe of the scam.
Incidentally, Vinay was the general secretary of TMC’s youth wing.
According to Suvendu the scam started in 2012-13.
“Abhishek is part of several scams with the help of her aunt Mamata Banerjee. The facts that are slowly coming out proves that the complaints made by the BJP and others are true,” said Suvendu adding that Abhishek is the main architect to this scam and also that the TMC cannot deny their connection with Vinay Mishra.
It can be recalled that in a public meeting last month Suvendu had shown a bank statement of Abhishek’s wife in Thailand and questioned about the huge amount deposited there.
Soon after that CBI officials had quizzed Abhishek’s wife Rujira and her sister and brother-in-law in connection to the coal scam.
Slamming the Trinamool Congress government, BJP leader Dinesh Trivedi claimed that the TMC has institutionalized ‘corruption’ in West Bengal.
“Each kid of the state is aware of the fact that corruption and violence is there in every part of West Bengal. But none can speak up due to the fear of violence and extortion. But now the people will give a befitting reply,” added the former TMC Rajya Sabha MP.
BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya claimed that the West Bengal Chief Minister cannot rule out the fact that she wasn’t aware of this development.
“The TMC is run by Mamata Banerjee and now she cannot claim that she didn’t have a hang of this development,” added Malviya.
Claiming the audio clip as ‘doctored’, TMC minister Subrata Mukherjee said that the saffron camp just to malign TMC is releasing ‘fake’ audio clips during the polls.
TMC spokesperson slamming Suvendu said that in 2012 Suvendu was TMC’s minister.
“If Suvendu knew about the scam then as a TMC minister he could have informed it to everyone then. The BJP is using Suvendu as a puppet,” claimed Kunal.
