Some BJP leaders hand in glove with coal mafia: Mamata

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday slammed the BJP-led government at the Centre for allegedly letting loose central agencies on her nephew and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in a coal scam case, claiming that some BJP ministers were working hand in glove with coal mafia.

She also accused the Narendra Modi government of trying to “bulldoze the federal structure” of the country and snatching away rights of the states.

The feisty TMC boss proposed to call a meeting of all chief ministers to fight against “the Centre’s authoritarianism”.

“The BJP and the Union government can’t fight us politically. The party was defeated in the assembly polls and now they are using central agencies against our leaders like Abhishek Banerjee and others. But let me tell them, they can’t bulldoze or intimidate us by such threats. We will continue our fight against them,” Banerjee said.

Notably, the Enforcement Directorate has summoned TMC’s Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee and his wife for questioning in a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal scam in the state, officials said on Saturday.

“If you (BJP) show us ED, we will also send proof against BJP leaders to the agency. A section of BJP ministers and leaders are working hand in glove with the coal mafia. They even stayed at hotels run by them during elections,” she added.