SSC recruitment row: TMC leader Kunal seeks Partha's scalp, later deletes tweet

Partha Chatterjee should be removed from ministry and all party posts immediately. He should be expelled. If this statement is considered wrong, the party has every right to remove me from all posts," he wrote on Twitter.

Kolkata: TMC general secretary Kunal Ghosh, on Thursday, called for the removal of arrested West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee from the ministry and all party posts. Taking to Twitter, Ghosh, who is also a TMC spokesperson, said that if his statement is considered wrong, the party can sack him from all posts.

Partha Chatterjee should be removed from ministry and all party posts immediately. He should be expelled. If this statement is considered wrong, the party has every right to remove me from all posts," he wrote on Twitter.

• In my earlier tweet, I had expressed my opinion.
  Now, the party has taken up the issue.
  Avishek Banerjee has convened party meeting today 5pm at TMC bhawan. I have been told to attend that meeting also.
  So, as @AITCofficial has taken up the matter, I am deleting the personal one.

  — Kunal Ghosh (@KunalGhoshAgain) July 28, 2022 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  In my earlier tweet, I had expressed my opinion.
  Now, the party has taken up the issue.
  Avishek Banerjee has convened party meeting today 5pm at TMC bhawan. I have been told to attend that meeting also.
  So, as @AITCofficial has taken up the matter, I am deleting the personal one.

  — Kunal Ghosh (@KunalGhoshAgain) July 28, 2022

  ">

  In my earlier tweet, I had expressed my opinion.
  Now, the party has taken up the issue.
  Avishek Banerjee has convened party meeting today 5pm at TMC bhawan. I have been told to attend that meeting also.
  So, as @AITCofficial has taken up the matter, I am deleting the personal one.

  — Kunal Ghosh (@KunalGhoshAgain) July 28, 2022

Meanwhile, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee has called a meeting of the party's disciplinary committee at 5 pm today to discuss the matter. Ghosh on Wednesday said that the recovery of cash from Chatterjee’s close aide's home has brought "disgrace" to the party and "shame to all of us".

Later, Ghosh took an U-turn and said," In my earlier tweet, I had expressed my opinion. Now, the party has taken up the issue. Abhishek Banerjee has convened a party meeting today at 5 pm at TMC Bhawan. I have been told to attend that meeting also. So, as @AITCofficial has taken up the matter, I am deleting the personal one."

Ghosh’s remarks came after the ED recovered unaccounted money from one of the flats linked to Arpita Mukherjee, a close associate of the West Bengal Industry Minister, late Wednesday evening. The huge cash was recovered five days after the federal probe agency seized more than Rs 21 crore in cash, along with jewelry and foreign exchange, from another flat of Mukherjee, who was also arrested on July 23.

"This development is a matter of great concern. Such incidents have brought disgrace to the party and shame to all of us. He (Partha Chatterjee) is saying why he would quit as minister. Why is he not saying in the public domain that he is innocent? What is stopping him from doing that?"

"I hope the party would take note of the public perception and take appropriate steps," the TMC spokesperson said.

Chatterjee, currently the Industry Minister in Mamata Banerjee-led state government, was arrested by the ED on July 23, a day after the probe agency seized Rs 20 crore in cash from premises of Mukherjee, in connection with an alleged teacher recruitment scam in the state.

The ED had also carried out massive raids at the residences of Chatterjee and Mukherjee and several others as part of a probe into the alleged irregularities in the recruitment of teachers and non-teaching staff in the state-run schools through the School Service Commission (SSC). The Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader was the education minister when the alleged illegal recruitments were made.