Mamata Banerjee slammed the Centre saying it was 'not easy to break Bengal
BJP officials on Thursday claimed that Trinamool Congress (TMC) members might even switch parties and join the BJP to shield themselves from the Enforcement Directorate (ED). However, the officials said that the BJP would not admit any thieves or dacoits.
Speaking to ANI about actor and BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty's statement on Wednesday that 38 Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLAs are in touch with the opposition, BJP's West Bengal Vice president, Saumitra Khan said that Trinamool leaders might be trying to join the BJP to avoid the ED.
Mr Khan added that ED takes the course of law and follows the process of justice and that the BJP will never take any thief dacoit in his party.
He further said that it would not be appropriate for him to speak about who are the people in contact with Mithun Chakraborty, however, claimed that he is aware that Trinamool members are aching to save themselves from ED.
Bharatiya Janata Party Vice President Dilip Ghosh while speaking to ANI in this regard said that earlier Mamata Banerjee's nephew had remarked that when Trinamool would open the door, the entire BJP will join the party. However, now if the door is opened, all Trinamool's MLAs would run away.
Earlier on Wednesday, BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty had claimed that 38 Trinamool Congress MLAs are in touch with the opposition, indicating that there may be a Maharashtra-like political change in West Bengal.
Calling it 'breaking news', the former Trinamool leader claimed, "Do you want to hear breaking news? At this moment, 38 MLAs have very good relations with us, out of which 21 are in direct contact with us."
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday slammed the Centre saying it was 'not easy to break Bengal" with the help of investigative agencies.
Claiming that the "BJP has no work" except toppling governments, Banerjee said the ruling party at the centre aimed at toppling democratically-elected governments.
"They (BJP) have no work, their job is to take over the state governments through 3-4 agencies. They've taken Maharashtra, now Jharkhand but Bengal has defeated them," Mamata Banerjee said
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had arrested former Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee in connection with the West Bengal School Service Commission and West Bengal Primary Education Board recruitment scam, while cash amounting to approximately Rs 40 crore have been recovered from his close associate Arpita Mukherjee.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)