TMC ministers move Calcutta HC appealing it to reconsider direction to include ED in PIL on their assets

Kolkata: Three Trinamool Congress (TMC) ministers including Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Mayor Firhad Hakim, Arup Roy and Jyotipriyo Mullick on Friday moved Calcutta High Court appealing the it to ‘reconsider’ its direction of including Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a PIL filed against the increase of assets of 19 heavyweight TMC leaders and ministers.

The hearing is due to September 12.

It may be noted that the division bench of Calcutta High Court’s Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bhardwaj on August 8 directed the ED to be a part of PIL regarding the assets and property details of 19 heavyweight TMC leaders including present seven ministers.

Based on the affidavits filed by these leaders with the Election Commission of India (ECI) while filing their nominations for various elections, in 2017 one Biplab Chowdhury had filed a PIL about the growth of assets of these TMC leaders.

Senior CPI (M) leader and politburo member Sujan Chakraborty said that if the TMC ministers are ‘clean’ then they should not be ‘afraid’.

“Couple of days back Firhad Hakim said that all TMC people are not thieves. He could have mentioned those who are not thieves because that list will be small. Being afraid the TMC ministers have moved court as they know if ED starts probing much information will come out,” said Chakraborty.

Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari slammed the TMC and said that "if 25 per cent leaders in TMC are thieves then 75 per cent are dacoits."

Earlier on August 10, Hakim said that the PIL stands for ‘Political Interest Litigation.

“I am ashamed of what Partha Chatterjee has done but that doesn’t mean everyone in TMC are thieves. The PIL is political interest litigation to malign us. In years income and property of a person can increase. I do business for years and run my family. I have an income tax return and if income tax officials want they can scrutinize my details,” Hakim said.

State education minister Bratya Basu mentioned that the PIL also mentions CPI (M) and Congress leaders.

Published on: Friday, August 12, 2022, 07:38 PM IST