WB CM Mamata Banerjee says ‘don’t support corruption’ amid investigation on Partha Chatterjee

National

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee broke her quiet on Monday, saying she ‘doesn’t support corruption’ in the midst of the current investigation into the SSC fraud case in West Bengal, in which state minister Partha Chatterjee is one of the primary accused.

“I don’t support corruption. I get a Rs 1 lakh pension from Parliament and Rs 2 lakh as a state MLA. Now count how much money I have made in the last 11 years. I have not taken a single penny besides this. My service is voluntary. Friends, I am sad and disheartened at the attitude of some political party in the last two days,” said the West Bengal CM.

“People do make mistakes. Making mistakes is also a right. If someone has been involved in wrong activities, none of us will interfere no matter how harsh a verdict they face. We will not support them,” she further said, referring to SUbhash Chandra Bose’s book ‘Right To Make Blunders’.

Mamata condemned the ‘malicious campaign’ against her by CPI(M) and BJP following the ED arresting Partha Chatterjee.

Partha Chatterjee, a West Bengal minister who was detained by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday in connection with a fraud involving the recruitment of school teachers, rang Mamata Banerjee, the state’s chief minister, four times following his detention, according to a formal document.

Chatterjee, who was arrested by the ED on Saturday, complained of heart pain just hours after the ED remand and demanded “proper medical facilities” if ED’s custody is granted, Chatterjee’s lawyer Somnath Mukherjee had told the media persons in Kolkata and was later flown to Bhubaneswar in an air ambulance for treatment today.

The Director of AIIMS Bhubaneswar stated on Monday that, despite Chatterjee’s several chronic conditions, hospitalisation is not necessary at this time. Following the examination, the reports were given to the Enforcement Directorate’s Investigating Officer (IO), Chatterjee’s counsel, and the concerned doctor from SSKM Hospital, as instructed by the Calcutta High Court.

He reached the Kolkata airport this morning, after being discharged from AIIMS Bhuwneshwar.

The minister was bought to the Central Government Office (CGO) complex in Kolkata on Tuesday morning, a day after he and his aide Arpita Mukherjee were sent to the custody of the Enforcement Directorate till August 3.