KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday called the Enforcement Directorate's move of summoning her nephew and TMC's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee 'a political vendetta' by the BJP and said that this may turn out to be a boomerang.
The central agency summoned the TMC leader for questioning on September 13--- on the same day the 14-member coordination committee meeting of the opposition bloc INDIA was scheduled in Delhi --- in connection with irregularities in recruitment to state-aided schools
“This is a political vendetta. In a democracy, few political parties have an understanding with other outfits. There should be courtesy in politics. Summoning Abhishek is unnecessarily harassment. This may turn out to be a boomerang. There is nothing against me. They want to damage the power of our youth wing. But the youth in Bengal will not tolerate it,” said Mamata.
Mamata, on several recent occasions, expressed her fear that the central agency might put Abhishek, also the second-in-command in the TMC, behind bars.
Abhishek described the ED’s move as an example of the “timidity and vacuousness of the 56-inch chest model” hinting that the action reflected the Centre’s fear of the opposition bloc.
“One can’t help but marvel at the TIMIDITY & VACUOSNESS of the 56-inch chest model. #FearofINDIA,” Abhishek said in his post on a social media handle.
The “56-inch chest” was an obvious jab at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Taking to Twitter, Abhishek further said, “FIRST meet of INDIA’s coordination comm is on 13th Sept in Delhi, where I’m a member. But@dir_ed conveniently served me a notice just now to appear before them on the VERY SAME DAY (sic)!”
Senior ED officials said they wanted to question Abhishek in connection with irregularities in recruitment to state-aided schools after one of the accused, who is presently in judicial custody, had said he worked for the TMC leader.
Summoning Abhishek on the day of the first meeting of INDIA’s coordination committee at the Delhi residence of NCP chief Sharad Pawar on September 13 appears to be politically significant as the event is to plan the alliance’s wider strategies for the immediate future.