Even if you slit my throat...: Abhishek Banerjee defiant after 11-hour ED session

The ED questioned Abhishek Banerjee for more than 11 hours in the West Bengal primary school recruitment scam case. The marathon session came a day after Abhishek was questioned for over eight hours regarding the alleged forgery of MLAs' signatures.

In Short

• Banerjee reached the Kolkata ED office before 11 am on summons
• Officials prepared around two dozen questions in the money laundering probe
• The questioning followed his eight-and-a-half-hour CID appearance in Kolkata on Sunday

Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee struck a defiant tone on Monday, saying he won't bow or surrender to the BJP, after being questioned for more than 11 hours by the ED in connection with the alleged teacher recruitment scam in Bengal. Abhishek, who is at the centre of a string of investigations, asserted that he would not "cower down" even if his throat was slit.

The Trinamool general secretary arrived at the ED's office at Kolkata's CGO Complex shortly before 11 am. He left at about 10 pm. The marathon session came a day after Abhishek was questioned for over eight hours by the Bengal CID regarding the alleged forgery of signatures of TMC MLAs on a letter related to the appointment of the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly.

ABHISHEK BANERJEE QUESTIONED FOR 11 HOURS

The ED case pertains to a money laundering probe linked to alleged irregularities in the recruitment of primary teachers in Bengal. Abhishek was asked around two dozen questions by the agency as part of the probe.

"Our focus is on the money trail. Who handled funds, how they moved across accounts and entities, and whether these transactions were layered to conceal their origin," an ED official told PTI.

Investigators have also scrutinised transactions linked to Leaps and Bounds Pvt Ltd, a company where Abhishek had earlier served as a director.

Speaking to reporters after leaving the ED office at around 10.15 pm, Abhishek said he had fully cooperated with the investigation. This was the third time that Abhishek, the nephew of Mamata Banerjee, was grilled by the ED in the case -- first in September and again in November 2023.

"I was questioned for 8-8.30 hours yesterday and for 11 hours today. This is a 2023 case, and I have appeared before the agency 10-12 times. On one side, they break our party and indulge in post-poll violence. Even if you slit my throat, I won't cower down," Abhishek said, taking a veiled jab at the BJP.

'WE ARE FIGHTERS'

He also alleged that efforts were being made to intimidate and weaken opposition forces. He claimed there had been a sustained attempt over the past month to "silence those unwilling to bow to pressure".

"Attempts are being made to silence those who refuse to bow down and to render West Bengal free of opposition," Abhishek said.

He also accused authorities of removing eligible voters' names from electoral rolls under various pretexts and exerting pressure on opposition counting agents during elections.

The TMC leader further alleged that attempts to weaken the opposition through conspiracies, defections and political poaching would not succeed. "Those who fight for the people's interests will neither bow to pressure nor surrender," he said.

Referring to the recruitment scam case, Banerjee said the FIR was filed four years ago, and the CBI began its investigation in June 2022. He noted that several arrests were made in July 2022, but maintained that the matter remained unresolved.

He reiterated his support for a transparent, impartial and merit-based recruitment process, saying eligible candidates should receive the jobs they deserve without delay.

"Those who fight for the people's interests will neither bow to pressure nor surrender. Even if attempts are made to silence us, we are not the type to give up; we are fighters," he further said.

- Ends