Bengal Min Jyotipriya Mallick gives weird reaction on ED’s summon to Abhishek Banerjee

Kolkata, Nov 8 (IANS) Jyotipriya Mallick, West Bengal minister arrested in connection with the ration distribution case, gave a weird reaction to mediapersons on Wednesday on Enforcement Directorate's (ED) summon to Trinamool Congress national general secretary and party's Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee for questioning in the school job case on Thursday.

“Who is Abhishek Banerjee? Our leader? All I can say is that I am personally clear in this case. It will become clear on November 13 when I will be presented at the court again,” Mallick told media persons on Wednesday morning while being brought out of ED’s Salt Lake office for his medical check-up at defence-run Command Hospital in Kolkata.

Meanwhile, state's women & child development and social welfare minister, Shashi Panja, confirmed to mediapersons on Wednesday that Abhishek Banerjee will be going to ED’s Salt Lake office on Thursday by honouring the agency’s summon for questioning. “He has been very responsible in the matter since the very first day,” Panja said.

She added that such summons are agenda-driven and politically motivated to disturb his political programmes in wake of the Lok Sabha elections next year. “This is also an attempt to malign the image of the party as well as to malign the image of West Bengal. Such attempts are going on for quite some time,” she said.

However, state BJP spokesman Samik Bhattacharya rubbished the allegation of political vendetta. “The central agency investigation in the school job case is going as per the order of the court and is also court-monitored. What has BJP to do with that? If Trinamool Congress smells anything wrong in the summons, they can approach the court,” he said.