Adhir writes to Mamata for Partha’s ouster from her cabinet

Potential risk of her government losing the people’s faith will compel Didi to take action against Chatterjee, says political commentator

Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury: File Picture

Arkamoy Datta Majumdar   |   TT  |  Calcutta   |    27.07.22  : Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury wrote to chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday, seeking the removal of Partha Chatterjee from her cabinet.

Chowdhury’s letter comes four days after Chatterjee was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with alleged anomalies in SSC recruitments.

“I am writing this letter regarding the misdeed of Shri Partha Chatterjee, who presently holds the Industry and State Parliamentary Affairs portfolio under your government. He was the Education Minister from 2014-2021, during which the alleged irregularities in teacher recruitment occurred,” Chowdhury wrote.

“It is a huge blot on the government of West Bengal. I urge you to sack Shri Partha Chatterjee from Ministership immediately,” he added.

Although Mamata and her government have so far tried to distance themselves from the alleged scam and the money that the ED had purportedly recovered from the flat of an associate of Chatterjee, political observers believe that it is only a matter of time before the chief minister is forced to remove the de facto Number 2 in her cabinet.

The Left Front has called for three rallies on Wednesday demanding justice for SSC job aspirants. The rallies will start from Park Circus, Sealdah station and Howrah station and will culminate at the Gandhi statue on Mayo Road in Calcutta.

The BJP has also decided to hold a rally from College Square to Esplanade in Calcutta on Thursday demanding the resignation of the entire cabinet.

Chatterjee’s vehicle was returned to the Assembly on Tuesday evening. Sources in the Assembly said Chatterjee’s driver had arrived with his car to the premises and returned it.

“The car was allotted to Chatterjee as the minister of parliamentary affairs.... The driver is also an employee of the Assembly. As the person who was allotted the car is not using it, the driver returned it to the House. There is no other reason behind it,” said a source.