Kolkata: A day after Enforcement Directorate (ED) had quizzed Trinamool Congress (TMC) national secretary Abhishek Banerjee for over nine hours in connection to recruitment scam, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan during his visit to Kolkata on Thursday had slammed Banerjee and questioned why is he scared?
"Abhishek Banerjee should not think that he is a judge or forensic laboratory in-charge. The law will take its own course and the culprit will be punished. A guilty mind will always be suspicious. Apart from Saradha ponzi scam, Narada bribery case there are scams like cattle snuggling, coal smuggling, drug trafficking. Corrupt leaders are running Bengal. The people of Bengal are in favor of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," said Pradhan.
Incidentally, after being quizzed by ED, Banerjee while talking to the media dared the central agency to arrest him.
'Abhishek Banerjee defends himself'
"If I am arrested then my statement will have to be sent to the court and then people will get to know whether there is any discrepancies in my statements. Those who are seen taking money in Narada sting video all should be arrested but the arrest should start with Suvendu Adhikari," Banerjee was heard stating.
Taking potshots at Banerjee, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Sukanta Majumdar said that Banerjee is trying to 'sideline' senior TMC leaders.
''Abhishek Banerjee's main targets are other senior Congess leaders''
"Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari is not the target of Abhishek Banerjee. His target is sideline senior TMC leaders like Firhad Hakim , Sougata Roy, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar," claimed Majumdar.
Countering the claims of the front camp, senior TMC leader Shashi Panja said," Just because LoP Suvendu Adhikari is in BJP watching machine he is not called by central agencies despite his name being in Saradha and Narada scams."
