‘Stop Me If You Can’: Abhishek Banerjee Picks TMC’s Delhi Protest Over ED Summons on October 3

Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee on Friday declared he will attend the TMC’s protest in Delhi for MGNREGA funds on October 3, in open defiance of an Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons on the date in connection with the school jobs scam in Kolkata.

“No force on Earth can hinder my dedication to fight for the people of WB and their fundamental rights. I’ll b in Delhi joining the protest on Oct 2nd & 3rd,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter).

The Mamata Banerjee-led party had described the ED summons as a political ploy by the BJP to disrupt a TMC rally in the national capital against the Centre’s decision to withhold West Bengal’s dues under MGNREGA.

According to the summons letter, Banerjee had been called for questioning as the CEO of private company Leaps and Bounds, which the ED alleges was “used for making dubious transactions running into crores of rupees”. Sources told News18 that Banerjee’s parents too have been called for questioning as other directors of the company.

Reacting to the summons, Abhishek Banerjee had earlier said it “exposes the fear in the saffron camp”. The TMC general secretary, considered number two in the TMC, had shared the letter sent to him by the agency on X.

“Earlier this month, the ED summoned me on a day coinciding with an important coordinating meeting of #INDIA in Delhi. I dutifully appeared and complied with the served summons,” he said.

“Now, today yet again, they have served me another summons to appear before them on a day when the protest agitation for West Bengal’s rightful dues is scheduled in Delhi on 3rd Oct. This stark revelation unequivocally exposes those who are truly perturbED, rattlED and scarED!” he posted on the micro-blogging site.

Banerjee, who was questioned by ED for nearly nine hours in the teacher recruitment scam earlier on September 13, had then claimed that the interrogation was an effort to prevent him from participating in the coordination committee meeting of opposition bloc INDIA.

Earlier, the two-time TMC MP from Diamond Harbour was questioned by the ED twice in the coal pilferage case in the agency’s office in Delhi in 2021 and in Kolkata in 2022. In May this year, he was questioned by the CBI for nine hours in the school jobs scam.

With West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee advised by doctors to rest for 10 days, Abhishek Banerjee, her nephew and party general secretary, is tipped to lead the charge at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar as well as lead a TMC delegation to meet Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Giriraj Singh.

Sources told News18 the TMC has booked an entire train to take party workers to Delhi. Beneficiaries who didn’t receive MNREGA money also reached Kolkata to be taken to Delhi. Volunteers have been assigned to take care of the beneficiaries and Abhishek Banerjee is scheduled to address them virtually on Friday.

“Delhi Chalo is a call given by Abhishek Banerjee. Therefore, he has to be there spearheading this movement in Delhi,” a source said.

Amid allegations of political vendetta, BJP leader Sukanto Majumdar defended the summons. “They are thieves. The ED has every right to question them. This has nothing to do with political vendetta.”