Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday sacked Partha Chatterjee from all ministerial and party posts in the Trinamool Congress. The decision came days after Chatterjee was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the alleged School Service Commission (SSC) scam.
Chatterjee was relieved of his role as Minister in charge, Department of Industries, Commerce and Enterprise, Department of Information Technology and Electronics and Department of Parliamentary Affairs. After his dismissal, Mamata will hold additional charge of departments that were under Chatterjee.
“Chatterjee will no longer hold any party post. He has been removed from the post of General Secretary, Working Committee member, wake up banglaFrom the Editor and Disciplinary Committee of. TMC is the only party which has spoken. We do not tolerate corruption of any kind,” TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said after the meeting.
The party decided to sever its ties with Chatterjee at an emergency disciplinary committee meeting at the TMC headquarters on Thursday. Ironically, Chatterjee was earlier heading this committee.
Chatterjee – Arrested By ED on Saturday – Mamata was the second senior-most cabinet minister in the government. He was the education minister of the state from 2014 to 2021, during which some alleged Irregular and illegal appointments were made by the West Bengal School Service Commission in filling up Group ‘C’ and ‘D’ staff.
In the last five days, the ED has seized over Rs 50 crore in cash from Arpita Mukherjee, a close aide of Chatterjee in Kolkata. The agency has also seized foreign currency, mobile handset, land documents, jewelery and gold bars from his flat. Both Chatterjee and Mukherjee have been sent to ED custody till August 3.
‘We want black money to be destroyed’
The TMC had earlier distanced itself from Chatterjee and avoided coming to his rescue. CM Banerjee on Monday Told Action will be taken against Chatterjee if found guilty.
“We want to know where did the money come from and what is the source? How did so much black money come in despite demonetisation?’ We wanted black money to be destroyed. Narendra Modi is equally responsible for this cash seizure as Arpita Mukherjee is.
The TMC is facing the heat of the SSC scam after opposition parties, including national BJP leaders, stepped up their attacks on the Mamata government. Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi addressing the media in New Delhi. Told“who cares” mother, mother, manushi (TMC slogan) only cares about money.”
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