Amid CBI Probe Into Recruitment Scam, Mamata Banerjee's Dig At BJP Leader

Amid the ongoing CBI probe into school teachers' recruitment scam, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said a chance should be given to rectify mistakes, if any.

In her bid to defend the former state education minister Partha Chatterjee, who was recently questioned by the probe agency in connection with the scam, Banerjee said the allegations of illegal appointments have been blown out of proportion.

Taking a veiled dig at Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, the CM sought to know what would happen to the jobs that were distributed in Medinipur districts during the BJP leader's tenure as a state cabinet minister.

"We have tried to create jobs unlike those who go to court to ensure people are sacked. We have given jobs to nearly one lakh people (in the school education department). Of them, there can be 50-100 cases where mistakes have been made.

"You have to give an opportunity to rectify these mistakes," Banerjee said in the Assembly.

Without naming Adhikari, Banerjee said she is well aware of the way jobs were distributed in Midnapore, where the BJP MLA is a popular leader.

"There are some people who are threatening us with CBI and ED. But they should first take a look at themselves. Are we not aware of the way jobs were distributed in Midnapore, how the locations were changed from one district to another.

"How Dadamoni (elder brother) had hired boys in districts of Murshidabad, Purulia and North Dinajpur and in exchange for what, we are all well aware of it. Those who had indulged in corruption, when they were in power, are making noise when they are in opposition. The BJP leaders should also be investigated," she said.

The Calcutta High Court has over the last few months ordered CBI investigations into several cases of school appointments, including a recruitment drive by the School Service Commission.

"What will happen to those jobs that you (Suvendu Adhikari) had distributed? Will those employees get sacked too?" the CM wondered.

Banerjee said somebody misused documents signed by Chatterjee to tarnish his image.

"This is why I am extra cautious about signing files that have blank spaces," she said.

Responding to the CM's assertions, Adhikari said he would retire from politics if the chief minister could provide proof of the allegations she made "I don't know who she referred to as 'Dadamoni'. If the allegations against me can be proven, I would retire from politics," he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)