In Jharkhand MLAs case, Trinamool questions ED ‘silence’ after ₹49 lakh seized

The Trinamool Congress on Sunday questioned the “silence” of Enforcement Directorate on the huge amount of unaccounted cash recovered from the vehicle of Congress MLAs from Jharkhand.

The TMC’s statement came in the backdrop of the seizure of crores of rupees in cash by the ED from two flats of a close aide of now suspended TMC leader Partha Chatterjee.

Mamata Banerjee’s party also demanded probe into the role of Leader of the Opposition in state Assembly Suvendu Adhikari as he had recently remarked that “after Maharashtra, it will be Jharkhand, Rajasthan and West Bengal.”

“Yesterday’s incident of 3 Jharkhand Congress MLAs being nabbed with heaps of cash raises many concerns. We have seen a trajectory by BJP of toppling democratically elected governments by unholy means. Do we sense a reiteration of the same incident yet again in Jharkhand?” the TMC said in a series of tweets.

Demanding fair investigation of this incident, TMC further said, “It’s imperative that the source of the money is unearthed. We heard Mr. Suvendu Adhikari claiming that the Jharkhand Govt. will be overthrown. Isn’t that reason enough to implicate him of a connection in this case?”

On Saturday, the West Bengal Police intercepted an SUV in Howrah in which three Congress MLAs of Jharkhand were travelling with nearly half a crore of rupees in it. After questioning, they were formally arrested on Sunday afternoon. Congress alleged that the three MLAs were part of BJP’s plan to topple the coalition government in Jharkhand.

Taking a similar line, TMC said, “The reality is clear, BJP does not believe in democratically winning elections! They would by every unfair means try to capture control. It is under these circumstances that we demand a fair probe and hope that the truth comes to light!”