Kolkata (West Bengal): Partha Chatterjee, the accused in the West Bengal SSC recruitment scam, has been relieved of his duties as State Minister six days after his arrest in the case. Partha has been removed from all cabinet ministries by the Trinamool Congress on Thursday, according to a notice from the state secretariat Nabanna. He has also been suspended from TMC till the investigation into scam is underway.
"Partha Chatterjee, minister in charge, department of industry, commerce and enterprises, department of information technology and electronics, department of parliamentary affairs and department of public enterprises and industrial reconstruction, is hereby relieved of his duties as MIC of the aforesaid department with immediate effect," an official order said.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee later said at a government event here that she will look after the portfolios held by Chatterjee for the time being. The ED had arrested Chatterjee, who is also the Trinamool Congress secretary-general, on July 23 in connection with its investigation into alleged irregularities in the recruitment drives by the School Service Commission (SSC).
Also read: Nearly 50 crore cash recovered from Partha Chatterjee's aide; 'was forced', she confesses
Chatterjee will also remain suspended from the party till the investigation into a school recruitment scam is underway, the party's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said on Thursday. Chatterjee has been removed from all party posts, he said. Banerjee, following a meeting of the party's disciplinary committee, also said that doors of TMC would be opened for Chatterjee only if he is proven innocent.
Chatterjee was TMC's secretary general for nearly two decades and was appointed the party's national vice-president earlier this year. "It has been decided that Partha Chatterjee will be removed from all party posts. He will remain suspended from the party till the investigation is over. We demand that the investigation be completed within a limited time frame.TMC will not support anyone found to be involved in corruption," Banerjee said.
The clamour for Chatterjee's removal was getting louder with a series of revelations during the interrogations by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Chatterjee has been removed from all three ministries — Industry, Commerce and Enterprises and information technology and electronics and Parliamentary affairs — that he held.
It may be recalled that the SSC recruitment scam accused Partha Chatterjee's close associate Arpita Mukherjee claimed during interrogation that the recovered money belonged to the minister. Arpita Mukherjee made this revelation during the Enforcement Directorate (ED) interrogation on Thursday. She said that she has nothing to do with the huge amount of cash recovered at her house.
