Woman hurls shoe at Partha Chatterjee

A lady threw a shoe at former West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee, who is an accused in the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) scam, while he was being escorted to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) headquarters from ECI Hospital on Tuesday. “I had come to throw my shoe on him. He has taken money from […]

A lady threw a shoe at former West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee, who is an accused in the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) scam, while he was being escorted to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) headquarters from ECI Hospital on Tuesday.

“I had come to throw my shoe on him. He has taken money from poor people. I would have been happier if the shoe would have hit him on his head,” she said when asked why she threw the shoe at Chatterjee.

Meanwhile, an ED search is ongoing at ‘Magic Touch’ in Patuli, Kolkata, a property owned by Arpita Mukherjee, Chatterjee’s close friend.

Chatterjee, on the other hand, has denied any role in the School Service Commission (SSC) scandal, claiming that the “money does not belong to him.”

“When the time comes, you will know…the money does not belong to me,” he said to media persons today upon being asked about who is behind this conspiracy.

Arrested Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee, who has been suspended from the Trinamool Congress, and his assistant Arpita Mukherjee have both claimed to be “victims of a conspiracy.”

The Trinamool Congress, which had previously distanced itself from its arrested leader Partha Chatterjee, fired him as a minister and suspended him from the party, leaving him to defend himself in the Enforcement Directorate probe into the teacher recruitment scam, in which crores of rupees were seized from residences linked to his aide Arpita Mukherjee.

Trinamool Congress’ decision to part ways with one of its most senior leaders was announced by party leader Abhishek Banerjee at a press conference in which he said “if anyone commits something wrong then Trinamool Congress will not spare him” and ‘there will be zero tolerance for corruption”. He said Partha Chatterjee will remain suspended till probe is underway.

Partha Chatterjee was regarded as the Chief Minister’s most trusted lieutenant, a “go-to” man, and was ranked third in the party hierarchy behind the Chief Minister and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee.

Following his detention by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) scandal, Chatterjee allegedly contacted Mamata Banerjee four times, which she allegedly did not answer.

Chatterjee, as well as the positions of general secretary, national vice president, and three other positions, have been removed from the TMC, according to Abhishek Banerjee.

“He has been suspended till the investigation is underway. He can come back if proven not guilty. CM took the decision and the (Partha Chatterjee) minister was removed. The probe into the matter is underway. If anyone commits something wrong then TMC won’t spare him,” he said adding that the investigating agency must complete the probe in a time-bound manner.

“There will be zero tolerance for corruption. Investigating agency must complete the probe within the time limit. Even in Sarada case nothing happened, it’s just lingering. There should be a time-bound investigation,” he said.

“The one (Arpita Mukherjee) from whose house sums of money were recovered isn’t from TMC. We want stringent action against those who are linked to this matter. I am saying this in a hypothetical way that if Partha Chatterjee goes to BJP after two months then he will become a saint. Since he is in TMC, all of these things are happening,” he added.