After Partha, Anubrata, Who’s Next? Tension Palpable in WB as HC orders ED Check on 19 TMC Big Shots

The arrest of former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee in school jobs scam, followed by Birbhum Trinamool President Anubrata Mondal for alleged cattle smuggling has created an upheaval in West Bengal’s politics.

On August 8, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court ordered the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to be party in a public interest litigation concerning the assets and property details of 19 high-profile leaders of the ruling Trinamool Congress, including seven existing ministers of the Bengal Cabinet.

Since then, there’s tension among the TMC leaders.

Amid whispers and hush-hush talks, there’s one question – Who will go next?

THE EFFECT

On August 12, Mayor Firhad Hakim, Ministers Arup Roy and Jyotipriya Mullick filed an application in the Calcutta High Court, urging withdrawal of ED from a property-related case. The appeal was filed to the Division Bench of Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bhardwaj.

According to court sources, the case is likely to be heard on September 12.

Hakim addressed a press conference last Saturday: “I have no fear of investigation. Everyone has social respect. Everyone is afraid to lose that social respect. There is no fear in going to jail. Many leaders of Bengal were in jail. But everyone is afraid of the way it plays out on the streets and media’s kangaroo courts.”

THE ACCUSATION

While the TMC feels the Central Government is instigating the ED and CBI against them, on Monday, Bankura’s Bishupur MP Soumitra Khan gave an explosive statement.

Khan brought up TMC Spokesperson Kunal Ghosh’s meeting with Central Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. “Along with Kunal, many from the ruling party are giving information about their leaders outside.”

However, Ghosh refuted the accusation, calling Soumitra ‘Lakshmichhara’.

ATTACK MODE

Since, the ED investigation began, the Opposition has not left any stone unturned to attack the ruling party. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Sukanta Majumdar said, “Trinamool has gone haywire. Partha Chatterjee said many things when Kunal Ghosh was in jail. Now Partha Chatterjee is in jail, so Kunal Ghosh is speaking. There is a fight within the party.”

TMC chief and CM Mamata Banerjee, at a pre-Independence Day event in Behala, said: “What to do if the ED and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) come to my house tomorrow? Do you come out on the streets? Can you move democratically? I will fight my battle alone, but you will have to fight it too.”

In this context, BJP All India Vice-President Dilip Ghosh remarked: “Earlier, Banerjee said that Kunal is a thief, Partha is a thief and Madan is a thief. She also named Mukul. All were arrested. Now she is saying her own name. I think there is a possibility that the ED will summon her.”

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