Dare CBI to arrest me if there is corruption proof, says Abhishek Banerjee

Banerjee accused the BJP of manipulating the CBI to hinder his ongoing mass outreach campaign, claiming that the BJP fears the public support for the program

TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee, who has been summoned by the CBI to appear at its Kolkata office on Saturday as part of the investigation into the school jobs scam, has challenged the central agency to arrest him if they have any evidence of corruption or misconduct. Banerjee accused the BJP of manipulating the CBI to hinder his ongoing mass outreach campaign, claiming that the BJP fears the public support for the program, news agency PTI reported.

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Addressing a road show, Banerjee emphasized his commitment to the masses and expressed gratitude for their overwhelming love and support. He dared the CBI to arrest him if they have any proof of corruption against him, pointing out that the agency has been investigating numerous cases in Bengal for several years. He announced the temporary suspension of his mass outreach campaign, Trinamool Nabojowar (Trinamool New Wave), to comply with the CBI's summons, assuring that he will resume the campaign from Bankura on Monday.

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Banerjee criticized the CBI for not summoning BJP leaders who are accused of corruption, alleging that the BJP provides a safe haven for thieves once they join the party. He specifically referred to the Narada scam, which is also being investigated by the CBI. In response to his allegations, the BJP dismissed them as baseless, stating that the party has no involvement in the CBI probe and questioned why Banerjee is making such claims if he has nothing to hide.

The Calcutta High Court dismissed Banerjee's petition seeking a recall of a previous order allowing investigative agencies like the CBI and the ED to interrogate him in the teacher recruitment scam. Banerjee has been leading the mass outreach program "Trinamool-e Nabajowar" (New Wave in Trinamool) since April 25, covering over 2000 km across ten districts of West Bengal. The campaign aims to gather feedback from the public on candidates and party policies and is scheduled to continue until mid-June.

(With inputs from PTI)

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