Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday said he had received a summons from the Enforcement Directorate "on the very same day" he is to attend the first meeting of the coordination committee of the INDIA opposition alliance - a 28-party bloc seen as gaining momentum in its bid to defeat the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in next year's Lok Sabha election.
"FIRST meet of INDIA's coordination comm is on 13th Sept in Delhi, where I'm a member. But Enforcement Directorate conveniently served me a notice just now to appear before him on the VERY SAME DAY!" Mr Banerjee posted on X.
Mr Banerjee's post comes as the central agency and he spar over "incriminating documents" the ED claimed it had found in raids last month on premises of a firm that lists him as its chief executive officer. The ED had searched offices in connection with its inquiry into alleged irregularities in appointments in government-run and government-aided schools.
Mr Banerjee had dismissed a June summons in this case, declaring, "I am not obligated to appear before investigative agencies at their whims." Two weeks ago, he accused the ED of "planting evidence" - a claim backed by Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, his aunt, who claimed "torture" by the agency that reports to the central government.
READ | "They Sent Message Will Arrest Him": Mamata On ED Raids On Abhishek Banerjee
Mr Banerjee, who is also being investigated for his role in an alleged coal smuggling scam, has always denied all accusations and stated that legal action against him is born out of a political vendetta. The ED claims it is investigating an alleged money laundering scam and that the company raided was "used for making dubious transactions running into crores of rupees".
On The INDIA Alliance
Last week the INDIA alliance - after its third meeting, this time in Mumbai - resolved to fight elections "together as far as possible" and announced the 14-member coordination committee to work on divergent issues and seat-sharing.
READ | "Will Contest Together As Far As Possible": INDIA Bloc Amid Differences
The INDIA alliance has been talked up by its members since its first meeting in Patna and is seen by many as a sign the opposition is united in its quest to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP. The Trinamool is a member but threw a spanner in its works after Mamata Banerjee opposed a joint resolution because it included calls for a caste-based census.
The bloc had its first electoral test this week - seven bypolls across Tripura, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bengal. The result was seen as inconclusive, after INDIA won four but was called out after group members contested against other in three state - Kerala, Bengal and Uttarakhand.
With input from agencies
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