'Won’t bow to BJP’: Abhishek Banerjee to face ED quiz: ED summoned Abhishek and his wife Rujira for a fresh round of questioning in Delhi on Monday

The agency has also summoned the politician's wife Rujira for a fresh round of questioning in Delhi on Monday in the alleged multi-crore coal pilferage case

Abhishek Banerjee.:File photo

Snehamoy Chakraborty   |   TT  |  Bolpur(Birbhum)   |   21.03.22  : Trinamul national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday said he would not bow down and surrender before the Narendra Modi-led BJP government and continue his fight against the saffron camp till the end.

Central agency Enforcement Directorate has summoned Abhishek and his wife Rujira for a fresh round of questioning in Delhi on Monday in the alleged multi-crore coal pilferage case in Bengal.

“The reason behind their grudge is they (the BJP) were defeated by the people of Bengal in Assembly polls last year and we did not surrender before them. Bengal ousted the outsiders. But we will not surrender or bow down before them. Let the fight continue and we will see its end,” said Abhishek at Calcutta airport before leaving for Delhi on Sunday afternoon.

While interacting with the media, Abhishek said he felt the central agency was selective in its approach.

“It is very unfortunate that the central agencies did not take any step against those who were found accepting cash openly as they are now big faces of the BJP. As a result there are question marks over the functioning of these agencies,” said the Diamond Harbour MP.

Abhishek said he would move to the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court’s order that rejected his plea for questioning at the ED’s Calcutta office. He also said the order came a day after BJP grabbed four out five states in the country on March 10.

 “I appealed in the high court (in Delhi) in August last year challenging the jurisdiction of the ED. The hearing continued for four months till November and the judgment was kept reserved for another three months till February. The BJP won the Assemblies in four states out of the five on March 10 and the judgment that was kept on hold for three months rejected my plea on March 11,” said Abhishek.

The decision to summon Abhishek and his wife Rujira comes within five days of Delhi High Court dismissing the couple’s plea for exemption from appearing before Delhi investigators as residents of Bengal. “I will go to the Supreme Court... I have faith in the apex judiciary” he added.

Calcutta police summoned three officers of the ED from Delhi to Kalighat police station on Monday in connection with its probe into a complaint involving an accused in the coal smuggling case.

Officers said in 2021 police had received a complaint from a person who claimed that ED officials had allegedly forced an accused in a coal smuggling case to name a few senior Trinamul leaders including Abhishek Banerjee.

The three officers, posted in New Delhi, have been asked to appear on Monday afternoon, just around the time when Abhishek Banerjee is scheduled to meet ED officials in the capital in connection with the central investigating agency's probe into the alleged coal smuggling case.