ED summons TMC’s Abhishek and wife in school jobs scam

Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee to appear before its officers here on October 9 in connection with the West Bengal school jobs scam, an official said on Wednesday.

The probe agency also summoned Banerjee’s wife Rujira for questioning on October 11, an official said. “Our officers will question Banerjee on October 9 and his wife on October 11 in connection with the school jobs scam. Both have been asked to come to our office at the CGO Complex here,” the officer told PTI over the phone.

Earlier, the ED had summoned the TMC leader’s parents Amit and Lata Banerjee to appear before its officers this week in the same case. The Diamond Harbour MP, who was asked by ED to appear before it on October 3, had skipped the summons and participated in the party’s protest rally in New Delhi against the BJP-led central government demanding immediate release of central funds allegedly owed to the state.

Trinamool labeled ED’s summons as “Abhishek-phobia” and “vendetta politics” of the saffron camp following the party’s protests in New Delhi this week against the Centre for allegedly withholding dues of the state government. “Before our protest programme, summons was sent to Abhishek Banerjee to scuttle it. After all the ploys failed to stop us from conducting the agitation, they resorted to dirty tricks. The summoning of Banerjee is nothing but an example of vendetta politics and Abhishek-phobia,” TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said.

The TMC had conducted protests in the national capital on October 2 and 3 when their leaders were detained.