Sad that `mountain of cash` found in land of Vivekananda: BJP attacks Mamata after Bengal minister`s `close aide` found with Rs 20 cr

Partha Chatterjee, the industry and state parliamentary affairs minister, has been arrested by ED in connection with its investigation into the alleged school jobs scam. His `close aide` Arpita Mukherjee was also arrested after Rs 20 crore was found at her home.

New Delhi: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday (July 23, 2022) hit out at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee's "close aide" Arpita Mukherjee was found with Rs 20 crore at her home. Pradhan regretted that "a mountain of currency notes" was discovered in a house in West Bengal, which is the land of Iswarchandra Vidyasagar and Swami Vivekananda, and termed the reported seizure of cash as a "matter of shame".

"A mountain of currency notes, to the tune of Rs 21 crore, has been found at someone's home. We must condemn the corrupt practice, which is shameful on the holy soil of Bengal, the land of Iswarchandra Vidyasagar and Swami Vivekananda, and also the divine land of worshippers of Saraswati, Goddess of learning. Strictest action needs to be taken against the perpetrators," Pradhan was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Chatterjee, the industry and state parliamentary affairs minister, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday in connection with its investigation into the alleged school jobs scam. The ED had on Friday carried out simultaneous raids at the houses of around a dozen people in connection with the probe into the alleged irregularities in teacher recruitment in the state and seized the accounted cash.

Chatterjee was the state education minister when the alleged school jobs scam took place.

Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, however, said the party had nothing to do with the "seizure of cash in someone's residence who is not associated with us".

Referring to the TMC spokesperson's comment, Pradhan said, "The party has stated that it is not associated with it (the discovery of cash). This reminds me of a Bengali phrase thakur ghore ke ami kala khaina (a guilty mind is always suspicious)."

'Everyone in Bengal knew about this': Congress on Partha Chatterjee's arrest

Following the arrest of Partha Chatterjee, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Saturday said that "everyone in Bengal knew about this scam" and demanded the agencies to nab the culprits soon. 

"Everyone in Bengal knew about this (scam). After the court`s intervention, investigation agencies started acting upon it. We want culprits to be punished," the West Bengal Congress chief told ANI.

CPI(M) leader urges personalities to refuse awards from 'corrupt' TMC govt

CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty urged Nobel laureate economist Abhijit Vinayak Bandyopadhyay and other eminent personalities to refuse awards from the West Bengal government when victims of the school jobs scam are suffering.

"At the onset of the crude financial scam perpetrated by the TMC, I, a Leftist commoner, would like to appeal to you to refuse the so-called Banga Bhusan and Banga Bibhusan award 2022, scheduled to be hosted on July 25," Chakraborty said.

Thousands of unemployed youths of the state have been victims of the scam, carried out by the ruling dispensation, he alleged.

"They have been toiling for justice over the last few years. I appeal to you to stand in solidarity with these victims, who for all these years have been ardent followers and fans of your creativity. May they get to see their icons stand in solidarity with them, at their hour of struggle," Chakraborty said in his appeal.