SSC Scam: Media Running ‘Malicious Campaign’ Against TMC, Says Mamata Banerjee

Banerjee said that probe “agencies must not be used to malign political parties."

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

(Photo: IANS)

Days after West Bengal minister and senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Partha Chatterjee was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in SSC scam, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday, 27 July, that media is running ‘malicious campaign’ against her party.

The TMC supremo said that she does not condone ‘mistakes’ and anyone proved guilty by the court must be punished but probe “agencies must not be used to malign political parties,” reported PTI.

Addressing a programme of Kolkata-based firm Titagarh Wagons, Banerjee said:

"When you run a big institution, there can be mistakes. If anyone has committed any mistake, and it is proven legally, he or she must be punished. But I am against any malicious media campaign. Media is playing the role of kangaroo (court). A senior judge also said that recently."

She asserted that businessmen, along with Opposition leaders, were being “threatened by agencies at the behest of the ruling BJP” at the Centre.

"I don't have a problem if agencies function impartially. These should not be used to malign parties," she said.

‘Confident That BJP Will Not Come to Power in 2024’

Asserting that the saffron party will lose the Lok Sabha elections in 2024, Banerjee said, “They (BJP) have no work, their job is to take over the state governments through 3-4 agencies. They've taken Maharashtra, now (working to take) Jharkhand but Bengal has defeated them. It's not easy to break Bengal as you have to fight the Royal Bengal Tiger first.”

She expressed confidence that the BJP will not come back to power in 2024 with the increasing unemployment in India.

However, she claimed that unemployment has decreased by 45 percent in Bengal, as per news agency ANI.

“I believe that the BJP will not come in 2024 (to power). Unemployment in India is increasing by 40 percent but it decreased by 45 percent in Bengal... Today media trial is going on and they are calling people accused. They just want to create a bad impression of Bengal,” she said.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI.)