Recruitment scam: Arrested Trinamool MLA sure of party support

Kolkata, April 29 (IANS) Trinamool Congress MLA Jiban Krishna Saha, arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the multi-crore recruitment scam in West Bengal, on Saturday said that he is confident of continued support from his party leadership in this moment of crisis.

This morning, while the CBI sleuths were taking Saha for a medical check-up, he stopped for a while and interacted with the media persons. "I have committed no crime and hence I am confident that party leadership will stand by me," Saha said.

When reminded by the media persons that it is the official stand of Trinamool Congress not to back anyone within the party who are involved in corruption, Saha said that since any guilt is yet to be proved against him, he is continuing to enjoy the support of his party leadership.

Saha is the second Trinamool Congress MLA after former West Bengal education minister and party secretary general Partha Chatterjee, who had claimed continued party support, even after his arrest in connection with the multi-crore recruitment scam.

Reacting to his statement, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Dr Santanu Sen claimed that it is true that the official stand of the party is not to back anyone involved in corruption irrespective of his or her position in the party. "But again, it is a matter of investigation on whether the central agencies are deliberately isolating and harassing legislators of a particular political party," he said.

Currently, three Trinamool Congress legislators are in custody over their alleged involvement in the recruitment. Besides Partha Chatterjee and Jiban Krishan Saha, the third such legislator is Manik Bhattacharya, who is also the former president of West Bengal Board of Primary Education. CBI has initiated a probe against the fourth ruling party MLA, Tapas Saha from Tahatta assembly constituency in Nadia district.