JOIN USHave nothing to do with ED probe into coal smuggling: BJP
The BJP on Saturday said it has nothing to do with the ongoing probe by Enforcement Directorate into allegations of coal smuggling against some Trinamool Congress leaders but the people of the state want the investigation to be over within a time frame and the unravelling of the truth.
BJP state spokesman Samik Bhattacharya told reporters that in the past when investigations into any case against any TMC leader don't yield immediate results there was talk about "Didi-Modi (CM-PM) nexus" by the Left. "Now if there is any news related to the probe, TMC alleges vendetta politics," he said replying to a question on reports of ED issuing summons to Abhishek Banerjee, the TMC national general secretary and nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in connection with the coal smuggling probe.
"We don't have anything to do (with the probe). We only want the truth to come out. Any talk about the probe gathering pace or not can be commented on by the investigating agency which works independently and not under us a political party," he said.
Asked to comment on Abhisek Banerjee blaming Union Home Minister Amit Shah of resorting to vendetta politics after BJP lost in West Bengal assembly poll and TMC's outreach in Tripura, Bhattacharya said "He (Abhisek) has made a political point after ED summons. It is upto him to say whatever he wants to." About the claims by Mamata Banerjee that she can send documents to ED to back her claim about BJP leaders puttting up in a luxury hotel in Asansol, he retorted "Why doesn't she if she has any proof?".
The TMC supremo has alleged that the BJP is working "hand in glove" with the coal mafia and that its leaders had been put up in a luxury hotel in Asansol, which is near the coal mines of the state. Regarding Mamata Banerjee's reservations on the visit of NHRC and CBI teams to meet victims of the post poll violence, the BJP leader said that over 50 members of the party had been killed in attacks by TMC in West Bengal since the end of the assembly election on May 2 this year. The figure was around 180 in past years.
"These deaths didn't take place in Mars. The two arrests by CBI in Nadia today were in relation to the murder of a BJP worker in mid May. We are happy the NHRC and CBI are finding out the real truth of TMC attacks," he said.
Tripura BJP will react to TMC's charges of attack on its party activists by the saffron camp in the north eastern state, he added.
TMC state general secretary and spokesman Kunal Ghosh said BJP is using central agencies for its trumped up charges to harass leaders like Abhishek Banerjee.
This was due to the desperation and frustration over BJP's poll debacle in West Bengal and the increasing influence of TMC in Tripura.
"The NHRC and CBI reports on post-poll violence in Bengal is part of the same agenda of Amit Shah-led dispensation in Delhi to harass TMC, which enjoys the support of people," he added.