Partha Chatterjee arrest: Mamata Banerjee breaks silence over ED action against TMC leader

Days after the arrest of West Bengal minister and TMC heavyweight Partha Chatterjee by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged school jobs scam, Chief Minister and party chief Mamata Banerjee has broken her silence. 

“I don't support corruption or any wrongdoing,” CM Banerjee said, adding that, “If anyone is found guilty, he or she must be punished, but I condemn malicious campaign against me.”

“Truth must come out but within a time frame,” she added. 

Banerjee also hit out at the BJP, alleging misuse of agencies. “BJP is wrong if it thinks it can break my party using agencies,” she said. 

In reference to the video shared by the BJP, where the CM was seen interacting with Arpita Mukherjee, from whose house Rs 22 crore in cash was recovered, she said the Trinamool Congress has no links with Mukherjee.

"The party has no relation with that lady, neither do I know her. I attend several programmes, if someone gets clicked with me, is it my fault?" she said.

She hit out at the BJP, "It has to be seen whether it (the investigation) is a trap to malign my party and me. I neither support corruption nor allow it to breed."

West Bengal Industry and Commerce Minister Chatterjee was arrested by the ED on Saturday in connection with its probe into the irregularities in the recruitment by the School Service Commission (SSC). The alleged scam happened when Chatterjee was the state's education minister.

READ | Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee does not require immediate hospitalisation: AIIMS official

(With inputs from PTI)