TMC government is on borrowed time

There is a Latin phrase Rex Lex meaning, the King is the law. It seems that TMC leaders thought of themselves as (or above) the law. They governed the state at their whims and fancies. However, they forget that Time is a great leveller. Now, the senior leaders of TMC and high-ranking bureaucrats who were living on cloud nine are facing the heat of the law. Their past deeds are coming back to haunt them. They have been caught in a whirlpool of criminal cases. This can end their politics or may even put them behind bars. This puts Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in the dock. It has to be seen whether she will take the moral responsibility for the crimes of her party or be taken to task by the law enforcement agencies.

Toolabaji, Money laundering, Corruption

There was a saying – ‘what Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow.’ The Eastern State used to lead the nation in terms of both economic and spiritual development. However, the communist rule followed by Mamata’s misgovernance wrecked the state. The citizens were left at the mercy of TMC leaders who allegedly plundered all the state resources to build their fortune. However, just like Shishupal, they too have committed their last criminal act. Their fate is now sealed in the hands of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Also Read: A 2000 crore cyclone scam by Mamata led TMC

Apparently, the two central agencies ED and CBI are tightening their grip against various nexuses operating in West Bengal. It includes cattle smugglers, money launderers and corrupt leaders. It is also setting the accountability of corrupt/incompetent government officials. As per media reports, at least six TMC leaders and eight IPS officers are under the scanner of CBI and ED.

Vinay Mishra

In July, the ED had attached properties worth Rs 13.63 crore of a company linked to TMC youth wing leader Vinay Mishra and his brother Vikas Mishra in a money laundering case. The case pertains to an alleged illegal coal mining and pilferage case. Police were successful in arresting Vikas. TMC leader Vinay was declared a proclaimed offender by the Delhi court.

The ED said, “Vinay Mishra and Vikas Mishra alias Chotu delivered proceeds of crime worth Rs 731 crore with the help of business associates of Anup Maji alias Lala during July, 2018-March, 2020″.

In November 2020, the CBI registered a case in an alleged multi-crore-rupee coal pilferage scam from Eastern Coalfields Limited mines in the Asansol area. Additionally, both the central agencies are probing his involvement in a cross-border cattle smuggling racket from the India-Bangladesh border.

Partha Chatterjee

The mountains of cash seized from the residence of Arpita Mukherjee, a close aide of former TMC Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, shocked the nation. In back-to-back raids, the agency found around Rs 50 crores in cash, gold and other incriminating documents. The details of the case are still afresh in the minds of the general public.

4 residences
2 cash mountains
50 crore rupees pic.twitter.com/d2wG4yqaAa
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) July 28, 2022

Anubrata Mondal

On the 11th of August, the CBI arrested TMC Birbhum district, President Anubrata Mondal, from his Bolpur residence. As per the agency, he was not cooperating in the probe in an alleged case of cattle smuggling. Prior to that, he had used health grounds twice to skip his scheduled appearance before the CBI officials. The court has granted 10-day custody to the CBI in the cattle smuggling case.

#WATCH | West Bengal: Anger in people as they show shoes, shout slogans of 'chor, chor' during the production of TMC Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal in a special CBI court of Asansol. Mondal had been arrested by the CBI in a cattle smuggling case. https://t.co/iE0Ui4xTQ6 pic.twitter.com/Z8yqQWI3JE
— ANI (@ANI) August 11, 2022

Abhishek Banerjee

Abhishek Banerjee is said to be second-in-command of the party. The CBI had filed an FIR in 2020, in an alleged multi-crore pilferage scam. The ED had alleged that Abhishek Banerjee was a “beneficiary” of illegal funds. In February 2021, the CBI questioned his wife Rujira Banerjee in connection to an alleged multi-crore coal scam. In May 2022, the Supreme Court allowed ED, which is probing the case along with CBI, to question Abhishek and his wife in Kolkata.

Also Read: Abhishek Banerjee, the scion of TMC sinks one court order deeper in coal

Paresh Adhikary

On the 17th of May, the Calcutta High Court gave a jolt to the TMC state minister Paresh Adhikary. The Honourable court directed the CBI to interrogate the TMC minister for the department of school education. It was alleged that he had appointed his daughter Ankita Adhikary as a teacher in a government-aided school. The court also directed CM Mamata Banerjee to remove Adhikary from his ministerial post.

Manik Bhattacharya

The TMC MLA Manik Bhattacharya too is alleged to be involved in the SSC Teacher Recruitment scam. The ED had questioned him in their Kolkata office. He was summoned by the agency after Partha Chatterjee’s arrest. TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee was forced to remove him from the post of President of the Bengal Primary Education board following a court order. The agency seized several incriminating documents related to the alleged recruitment scam from raids conducted at his residence.

Setting the accountability of the bureaucrats

As per the TV9 media report, ED has issued summons to 8 IPS officers posted in West Bengal. All the officials have to appear before the ED office in Delhi from 22nd August to 31t August. The agency will question them in connection with the coal scam. Media reports claim that all these officers were posted in the concerned area where illegal coal mining was carried out. Yet, they did nothing to stop those grave offences. The officers summoned by ED for questioning are Shyam Singh, Rajiv Mishra, Gyanwant, Tathagata Basu, Sukesh Jain, Koteshwar Rai, and Selva Murugan and Bhaskar Mukherjee.

Also Read: Sab Changa Si – All is Well for Mamata Banerjee’s Kolkata Police

The versatility of TMC in allegedly plundering the state would even shame the Congress party. From Narda, Sharda to Chit Fund scam, Toola baji, cut money, SSC recruitment scam, coal scam, Amphan cyclone scams, it seems to be neck deep in Corruption. To rub salts on the wounds, it is even sucking out blood from innocent animals like cattle. The cattle smuggling rackets are running amuck, allegedly under the guidance of TMC leaders like Anubrata Mondal.

It is a shame that the Mamata Banerjee government instead of adopting a zero-tolerance policy against Corruption provides moral shields to her tainted leaders and State Police officers. If the law enforcement agencies take the cases to their logical conclusions, Mamata Banerjee can’t shun her responsibility. This gross misgovernance and incompetence in handling state affairs may result in her downfall.