'BJP's Tyranny will be defeated': TMC's Abhishek Banerjee furious after 8-hour ED grilling

After the Enforcement Directorate (ED) grilled Abishek Banerjee for 8 hours in Delhi, the TMC leader on Monday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP government. He said that anyone who fights against the BJP is harassed. Stating that the coal scam case has arisen out of Kolkata, Abhishek Banerjee complained that he was being summoned in Delhi. 

Abhishek Banerjee slams BJP

"I have been asked questions non-stop for the last 8 hours. From day one, I've been asking to bring evidence, if any, against me into the public domain," said Banerjee after appearing before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the national capital.

Banerjee warned that BJP cannot frighten TMC by doing things like this and said that his party will not accept defeat like Congress and others. He also insisted that TMC will fight more vigorously. "We'll go to every state where they've killed democracy," Mamata Banerjee's nephew added. 

Asserting that BJP's tyranny will be defeated, Abhishek Banerjee said, "Let BJP put all its might, vigour, threat, resources, mind of words, their resources are going to fall flat. TMC will defeat BJP in next polls."

'Will leave politics if unable to expose BJP': Abhishek Banerjee

Earlier, Abhishek Banerjee also challenged the BJP to send any of its leaders to sit face to face with him and discuss what the central agencies have done in the last five years, including the fate of the country in the seven-year-administration of the Narendra Modi government.

"You (BJP) decide the date, time and venue and I will go; if I cannot expose them then I will not put my feet in the political arena anymore," he asserted. 

On August 28, both Abhishek Banerjee and his wife Rujira Banerjee were summoned by the ED for questioning as a part of the Coal scam case. Rujira Banerjee evaded the summon citing the COVID situation, Abhishek Banerjee was set to appear before the central agency on Monday. 

Coal smuggling scam

The scam came under the spotlight on November 27, 2020, when CBI Kolkata registered a case against several leaders, unknown officials of ECL, CISF, Railways and other departments under various sections of IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act.

The ED later took up the investigation, and it was revealed that "large proceeds of crime" were generated and laundered due to illegal coal mining near railway areas. Later in February, the CBI was restricted from investigating the illegal mining and transportation of coal, but was allowed by the Calcutta High Court to continue its probe. 

(Image: ANI, PTI)