Abhishek Banerjee's ‘hang myself if…' remark after ED questioning; speaks on Mahua Moitra
Abhishek Banerjee, a nephew of Mamata Banerjee, told reporters that he would cooperate with the ED if it summons him again.
Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate for questioning in connection with its probe into the alleged school jobs scam in West Bengal. Banerjee, the party's national general secretary, reached the ED office in Kolkata around 11.10am, news agency PTI reported.
Shortly after coming out of the ED office, Abhishek Banerjee, a nephew of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, told reporters that he would cooperate with the probe agency if it summons him again.
“I have nothing to hide. They (ED) can call me whenever they want. All things are in front of the people that they (BJP) are not able to fight us and are using investigative agencies. It is unfortunate. If you have any evidence against me then present it before the court," Banerjee said.
"The ED hasn't found anything against me… I reiterate what I had said earlier that if any central agency can prove my involvement in any illegal transaction, there will be no need to hold any CBI or ED probe, I will walk up the podium and get myself hanged publicly," he added.
Abhishek Banerjee on Mahua Moitra
Abhishek Banerjee also spoke on Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra and allegations against her in the "cash-for-query" case.
The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee looking into the cash-for-query allegations against Moitra is learnt to have recommended her expulsion from the Lower House of Parliament on the grounds of "unethical conduct" having an impact on national security.
“How can action be taken against someone, without anything being proved… I think Mahua Moitra is competent enough to fight her battle on her own,” he said.
The Diamond Harbour MP was summoned by the central agency after Banerjee skipped its October 3 summons to participate in a protest rally in New Delhi, demanding the immediate release of dues under the MGNREGA scheme to the state.
An elaborate security arrangement has been made outside the ED office in Salt Lake area.
The ED had on September 13 questioned Banerjee for nearly nine hours in the alleged school recruitment scam.
The two-time TMC MP was questioned by the ED twice in the coal pilferage case, once in the agency's office in the national capital in 2021 and again in Kolkata in 2022.
(With inputs from agencies)
