BJP organises rally demanding removal of minister Jyotipriyo Mallick from Bengal cabinet

PTI, Nov 2, 2023, 6:30 PM IST

West Bengal BJP held protest rallies throughout the state on Thursday demanding the removal of arrested TMC minister Jyotipriyo Mallick from the cabinet. They argued that it is ”unconstitutional and illegal” to have a tainted minister in the state government.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested West Bengal Minister Jyotipriyo Mallick last week in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged ration distribution scam in the state.

”We demand the immediate removal of Mallick from the state cabinet. How can a person who has been arrested in a corruption case continue to hold his position? This is not only unconstitutional but also illegal,” said BJP state general aecretary Agnimitra Paul.

She led a protest rally in her assembly constituency Asansol, located in Paschim Bardhaman district.

BJP activists organized rallies in various parts of the state, all echoing the demand for Mallick’s removal from the state cabinet.

BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya, accused the ruling party of applying double standards when dealing with its leaders facing allegations. He pointed to the prompt suspension and removal of Partha Chatterjee when he was arrested last year, contrasting it with the lack of action in the cases of Anubrata Mandal, who still holds the position of TMC’s Birbhum president, and Mallick, who remains in office.

In response to these demands, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh dismissed the allegations as baseless.

He assured that the party and the state government would take appropriate action at the right time. He also said investigative agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED were being utilised for political purposes.

Mallick currently holds the portfolios of Forest Affairs and Non-Conventional and Renewable Energy in the Mamata Banerjee government.

He served as the Food Supplies Minister from 2011 to 2021, a period during which the alleged irregularities in ration distribution reportedly occurred.