In the wake of resigning from his posts as party general secretary and spokesperson, senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Kunal Ghosh urged the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to investigate TMC Kolkata (North) MP Sudip Bandhopadhyay.
Ghosh emphasized the need to scrutinize the bank accounts of MP Sudip Banerjee and transactions related to Apollo Hospital in Bhubaneswar. He asserted that if substantial payments were made to Bandhopadhyay or on his behalf during his custody, it could be linked to the coal scam, warranting further investigation and possible arrest.
In a subsequent media interaction, Ghosh advocated for a female candidate to contest the Kolkata (North) seat, highlighting the absence of women candidates historically. He suggested TMC minister Shashi Panja as a potential candidate, given her familial ties to former MP late Ajit Panja.
Bandhopadhyay's past arrest in January 2017 by the CBI for alleged involvement in the Rose Valley ponzi scam was noted, followed by his release on bail by the Orissa High Court in May 2017.
Echoing Ghosh's sentiments, TMC MLA Tapas Roy accused Bandhopadhyay of orchestrating an ED raid on his residence. Roy alleged that Bandhopadhyay made concerted efforts to oust him from the Kolkata (North) constituency, implicating him in the raid.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) interpreted these developments as evidence of internal strife within the TMC.
