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Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday claimed that several ministers of the Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) are planning to switch parties and join the former in order to escape from the anti-money laundering agency. But, the BJP officials said they will not admit any thieves and dacoits.
Yesterday, actor-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty, who had joined the BJP around the West Bengal Assembly polls last year, claimed 38 TMC MLAs are in touch with the saffron camp and hinted that Maharashtra-like development could happen in the eastern state too. Chakraborty also asserted that 21 of the 38 legislators are directly in touch with him.
Calling it 'breaking news', the former TMC leader claimed, "Do you want to hear breaking news? At this moment, 38 TMC MLAs have very good relations with us, out of which 21 are in direct (contact with us)".
In addition to this, BJP's West Bengal Vice president, Saumitra Khan said that TMC leaders might be trying to join the BJP to avoid the ED.
Khan added that ED takes the course of law and follows the process of justice and that the BJP will never take any thief dacoit in his party.
Additionally, BJP Vice President Dilip Ghosh also told ANI news agency that earlier Mamata Banerjee's nephew had remarked that when TMC would open the door, the entire BJP will join the party. However, now if the door is opened, all TMC's MLAs would run away.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slammed the Centre saying it was 'not easy to break Bengal" with the help of investigative agencies.
Claiming that the "BJP has no work" except toppling governments, Banerjee said the ruling party at the centre aimed at toppling democratically-elected governments.
"They (BJP) have no work, their job is to take over the state governments through 3-4 agencies. They've taken Maharashtra, now Jharkhand but Bengal has defeated them," Mamata Banerjee said
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had arrested former Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee in connection with the West Bengal School Service Commission and West Bengal Primary Education Board recruitment scam, while cash amounting to approximately ₹50 crore has been recovered from his close associate Arpita Mukherjee.