Bengal CM aware of how I was framed by BJP: Mallick

Kolkata, Nov 3 (IANS) West Bengal Minister Jyotipriya Mallick, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) last week in connection with the multi-crore ration distribution case, on Friday morning told media persons that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the party’s national General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee are aware of how he has been framed by BJP in the case.

On Friday while he was being taken out from ED’s Salt Lake office in the northern outskirts of Kolkata for a health check-up, Mallick, the present state forest minister and former food & supplies minister, had a brief interaction with the media persons present there.

“I am a victim of a conspiracy hatched against me by the BJP. Both Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee are aware of it,” the arrested minister said. Speaking on the occasion, he also said that just as his affiliation towards Trinamool Congress will always be there, he is confident that his party leadership will stand by him in this moment of crisis.

He also expressed confidence of proving himself in the matter and also being released at the earliest. “Just wait for some more days,” Mallick said.

The arrested minister’s comments on Friday were extremely significant especially when a section of the party’s leadership had started distancing from him after his arrest. Recently, Trinamool Congress’ Lok Sabha member from Barasat constituency in North 24 Paragans Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar had claimed that the image of the party will not be maligned because of what Mallick has done as an individual.

Senior Trinamool leader and the state minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay said that if Mallick’s involvement in corruption is proved, the party will not stand by him. "Zero tolerance against corruption is the announced stand of the party and hence in case his involvement in corruption is proved, the party will not stand by him, as was done in the case of Partha,” Chattopadhyay said.