Mamata Banerjee on four-day visit to Delhi as agencies step up heat

The visit comes at a time when central investigation agencies have stepped up probe in connection with different scams in West Bengal.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. File | Photo Credit: PTI

At a time when the politics in West Bengal is on a boil over the School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday, left for Delhi to participate in Niti Aayog meeting, scheduled later this week. The visit comes at a time when central investigation agencies have stepped up probe in connection with different scams in the State.

The Enforcement Directorate, which is probing the SSC recruitment scam, on Thursday, also conducted raids at different places in Kolkata, and adjoining suburbs. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) also conducted raids in the State in connection with the coal pilferage scam.

Meeting on Friday

Ms. Banerjee is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. A section of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders from West Bengal did not want the meeting between the Prime Minister and Chief Minister to be be held at a time, when the Trinamool Congress government is facing the heat of the SSC recruitment scam. After the seizure of ₹50 crore cash in the recruitment scam, the Chief Minister had to dump former Minister Partha Chatterjee, and reshuffle the State Cabinet, by inducting eight new faces.

 The Left parties and Congress leadership in West Bengal, have raised questions on the Chief Minister’s visit to the Delhi.

Tacit understanding

“The visit has nothing to do with Niti (Aayog), it is with ‘Durniti (corruption)‘. Mamata Banerjee’s visit is clearly an attempt at forging a tacit understanding, so that those close to her may be spared by the investigation agencies,” Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sujan Chakraborty said.

During her four-day visit to Delhi, Ms. Banerjee is likely to meet leaders of the Opposition parties and also call on the President Droupadi Murmu. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) leadership said that there was nothing wrong in the Chief Minister meeting the Prime Minister. Mr. Kunal Ghosh, spokesperson of the Chief Minister, is likely to raise the  issue of pending dues of the State, with the Prime Minister.