KOLKATA: Making a political statement for the first time since she had inaugurated Durga Puja virtually two weeks ago because of her illness, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday launched a vitriolic attack on the BJP when the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids at the residence of forest minister and former food and supplies minister Jyotipriya Mallick and seven other places in connection in an alleged foodgrain scam.
“BJP is in engaged in a devious strategy under the guise of ED raids on opposition leaders nationwide ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. It will not help them to win. Jyotipriya Mallick is in poor health. He is suffering from high blood sugar. We will file an FIR against the BJP and the ED if any harm befalls him during searches at his residence,” said Mamata in a press conference at her Kalighat residence.
The Trinamool Congress supremo, however, did not utter a single word on the alleged involvement of party MP Mahua Moitra in the cash-for-question scandal which has become the centre of attraction in national politics after she was asked to appear before the ethics committee on October 31.
The ED’s raid at Mallick’s residence in Nagerbazar, North 24 Parganas, was followed by the recent arrest of Bakibur Rahaman, a prime accused in the foodgrain scam.
“We decided to search Mallick’s house and other places on the basis of leads that emerged during the course of Rahaman’s interrogation. We found that foodgrains meant for Public Distribution System (PDS) supplies were illegally sold to private shops and involvement of Rahaman, who started his career with a rice mill in 2004 and had at least 16 companies by 2020,” said an official of the ED which is probing into the laundering of the proceeds of the alleged scam.
Referring to the raid and Mallick’s house, Mamata lashed out at the BJP saying, “What atrocities and lawlessness are occurring? BJP is playing a dirty game. I want to know whether they there has been even one such raid at the residence of any BJP leader? Neither they nor we will remain in power forever. New generation will come up to take over. But they are leaving blunders for the next generation.”
She also lambasted the saffron camp for ‘attempting to change the country’s history’ by making a series of ill-conceived decisions, including demonetisation and the introduction of GST.
On October 5, the ED raided the house of present food and supplies minister Rathin Ghosh and 12 other places in connection with recruitment scams in municipalities.