Mamata Banerjee's govt gives nod to probe Rajib Banerjee for 'irregularities' as Minister

The West Bengal government has given a nod to probe the irregularities in the Forest Department appointments- the portfolio that belonged to ex-TMC MLA Rajib Banerjee. The West Bengal Cabinet on Friday gave its nod to initiate a probe into alleged irregularities into the process of appointment of 'ban sahayaks' to help forest personnel have better coordination with local contacts, as per PTI. The probe was initiated after CM Mamata Banerjee indirectly alleged Rajib Banerjee's hand in the irregularities plaguing the Forest department. 

"The person after indulging in corruption has now joined the BJP and is talking big and lecturing others... Everything will be investigated," the CM had said during a party programme in Alipurduar district.

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Rajib Banerjee gets Z+ security

Shortly after switching over to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), former West Bengal minister Rajib Banerjee has been given Z category security in the state and Y+ in other parts of the country.  Banerjee had joined the BJP on Saturday in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi, a day after quitting the TMC.

Joining the saffron party along with him were other disgruntled leaders, namely - Baishali Dalmiya, Prabir Ghoshal, Rathin Chakraborti, and Rudranil Ghosh. The security cover for Banerjee comes amid rising political violence witnessed in the state, in the run up for assembly polls. Incidents of clashes between the workers of the two parties, that result in injuries have become more rampant in the backdrop of intensified election rallies. Banerjee, who was the forest minister in Mamata Banerjee's cabinet and represented the Domjur Assembly seat in Howrah, had resigned from the ruling TMC and as MLA on Friday. He is the third cabinet minister to quit the party in the last two months ahead of West Bengal Assembly elections due April-May this year. 

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 A charged-up West Bengal ahead of polls

The situation in the run-up to West Bengal election gets intense by the day with political mudslinging, violence and claims of defeating each other by heavy margins. West Bengal, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee holds fort with 222 seats, will go to polls in April-May 2021. The BJP has exuded confidence that it will cross the 200 seat mark, however, TMC via its poll strategist Prashant Kishore has contended that BJP will not cross double digits.

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