ED summons Abhishek Banerjee on Nov 9; TMC minister terms it BJP's 'sadistic pleasure'

Banerjee will appear before the ED on Thursday, West Bengal Women and Child Welfare Minister and TMC spokesperson Shashi Panja said, alleging that the party national general secretary is a victim of 'vendetta politics'.

Kolkata: Trinamool’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee has yet again been asked by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to appear before it on November 9.

Senior Trinamool leader and minister in the state government Shashi Panja, on Wednesday, alleged that the BJP draws a “sadistic pleasure”, while talking about recent developments.

“Amid Puja, once it was over, and even before the immersion (of idols of Goddess Durga) took place, we saw a minister being summoned… then it was the jail. Now, it’s time for Kali Puja. The Kali Puja is organised at Mamata Banerjee’s residence, and yesterday was Abhishek Banerjee’s birthday… Those who draw sadistic pleasure from such things… it’s the BJP,” she said.

The minister claimed that the Trinamool is the BJP’s “target”, and the developments are in the context of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. She said that Abhishek would appear and respond to the ED's questions, but the investigation would have no end. “It’s a witch hunt,” Panja alleged.

The Trinamool leader alleged that an attempt is being made to create an ambience that will make the rest of the nation look condescendingly on the state of Bengal and her party’s leaders.

Meanwhile, the ED in a post on microblogging platform X on Tuesday evening stated that it had “arrested Jyoti Priya Mallick, presently Minister-In-Charge of Forest Affairs and Non-Conventional and Renewable Energy Sources of Government of West Bengal on 27.10.2023 in a case related to Food Scam of West Bengal”.

The post further added: “He was earlier Minister-In-Charge of Food and Supply Department, Govt. of West Bengal from 2011 to 2021. The Ld. CMM court has granted 14 days custody of Jyoti Priya Mallick to ED till 12.11.2023.”