WBSSC scam: Partha Chatterjee stripped of Trinamool posts, suspended from party

Kolkata, July 28 (IANS) Hours after Mamta Banerjee government stripped him of all his ministerial portfolios, the ruling Trinamool Congress on Thursday announced that Partha Chatterjee, who had been arrested in the multi-crore West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC), stands suspended from the party, till the time the investigations in the matter are over and the final results of the probe comes forth.

Earlier, the cabinet took a decision to remove Chatterjee, who held the portfolios of Commerce and Industries, Parliamentary Affairs Department, and Information Technology and Electronics, as Minister.

A meeting of the party's disciplinary committee, chaired by national General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee at the party's head office of Trinamool Congress Bhavan, took the decisions to suspend Chatterjee from the party as well as to remove him from all party post.

"He will remain suspended from the party till the time the investigation is completed and the entire picture is clear. At the same time, he stands removed from the party posts like Secretary General, national Working Committee member, Disciplinary Committee member and the editor of the party's organ in Bengali, Jago Bangla. The decision has been taken following certain circumstantial evidences that came forth since the last one week. We are committed to the people and hence we decided to give the benefit of doubt to the people rather than our own party Secretary General," Abhishek Banerjee told media persons after the meeting.

He, at the same time, maintained that the party has no connection with Partha Chatterjee's aide, Arpita Mukherjee, from whose residences ED sleuths have recovered huge treasure in two phases from the last one week.

"One can say that Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee was spotted at the dais of a Durga Puja inauguration. But that proves nothing. Even the Prime Minister was spotted at the same dais with tainted industrialist, Nirav Modi. BJP has absolutely no right to raise such questions," he said.

He also said that although initially it was decided that action against Partha Chatterjee will be taken after the court verdict makes the picture clear, following circumstantial evidence, the party decided to take this disciplinary decision at this moment. "Yes, we have taken seven days to make this decision. But show me any other national party which acted so fast on the issue of corruption," he said.

He also said that if by any chance Partha Chatterjee in future comes to an understanding with BJP, he will surely come clean of all allegations. "I am not trying to defend anyone. But there had been such instances in the past like the present Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly," he said, in a jibe at Suvendu Adhikari, who was earlier in the Trinamool before switching over to the BJP.