Highlights
- I have removed Partha Chatterjee as a minister. My party takes strict action, Mamata said
- CM will also look after industry, and other portfolios held by sacked minister Partha Chatterjee
- Partha Chatterjee, who has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a school jobs scam
Bengal SSC Scam: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that her party have taken a strict action against her minister but also added there are many plans behind this.
"I have removed Partha Chatterjee as a minister. My party takes strict action. There are many plannings behind it but I don't want to go into details," Mamata Banerjee said.
The chief minister will also look after industry, and other portfolios held by sacked minister Partha Chatterjee for the time being, officials said.
Partha Chatterjee has been removed from TMC along with the post of General Secretary, National vice president and three other posts. He has been suspended till the investigation is underway. He can come back if proven not guilty, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee 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: TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee
"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," Abhishek Banerjee added.
"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 further added.
The West Bengal government removed Partha Chatterjee, who has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a school jobs scam, from the ministry with immediate effect.
"Partha Chatterjee, minister in charge, department of industry, commerce and enterprises, department of information technology and electronics, department of parliamentary affairs and department of public enterprises and industrial reconstruction, is hereby relieved of his duties as MIC of the aforesaid department with immediate effect," an official order said.
The ED had arrested Chatterjee, who is also the Trinamool Congress secretary-general, on July 23 in connection with its investigation into alleged irregularities in the recruitment drives by the School Service Commission (SSC).
The central agency has also arrested Chatterjee’s close associate Arpita Mukherjee, and seized crores of rupees from her houses in different parts of the city.
(With inputs from PTI)
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