Kolkata | The West Bengal CID on Sunday conducted marathon questioning of Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and party MLA Kunal Ghosh in Kolkata in connection with its ongoing probe into the alleged forgery of MLAs' signatures on documents related to the appointment of Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, an officer said.
Banerjee, who reached the CID office at 'Bhawani Bhawan' in the morning for a second round of questioning in the case, was made to sit face-to-face with Ghosh during the questioning, the Beleghata MLA claimed after emerging from the CID office.
"I have answered all their questions. I have cooperated with their investigation," Ghosh told reporters after an almost four-hour grilling session at the CID office.
On whether there was any interrogation session when he was questioned along with the party's Diamond Harbour MP, Ghosh replied in the affirmative.
The interrogation of Banerjee, however, continued more than seven-and-a-half hours.
According to a well-placed source, the CID officers first questioned both Banerjee and Ghosh separately and then brought them together.
"The interrogation sessions have been documented. Questions were asked on the days the meeting took place (on May 19). Questions on who all were present, who signed the resolution, were also asked," the officer said.
The sleuths were reportedly not satisfied with some of the replies given by the Diamond Harbour MP during his questioning last week, and he was therefore summoned again.
Incidentally, during the earlier grilling, Banerjee was repeatedly asked about the details of the meeting where the "resolution was signed".
On May 6, TMC legislators met at Mamata Banerjee's Kalighat residence and proposed the name of Sovandeb Chattopadhyay for the post of Leader of the Opposition. Legislators present at the meeting reportedly expressed support by a show of hands.
The formal proposal, however, was not immediately submitted to the Assembly. Following the swearing-in of TMC MLAs on May 13 and 14, the Assembly Secretariat sought a resolution from the party naming its nominee for the post.
A fresh meeting was held on May 19, following which a document carrying signatures of 70 legislators in support of Chattopadhyay was submitted to the Assembly.
Questions were subsequently raised after discrepancies were allegedly noticed between signatures appearing on different documents submitted by TMC MLAs.
The matter eventually led to the registration of an FIR and a CID probe. The CID has already questioned several legislators in connection with the case.
New Delhi | With dissident MPs upping the ante, Trinamool Congress parliamentary party leader in the Lok Sabha, Abhishek Banerjee, has written to Speaker Om Birla urging him not to accord any recognition, status or facility to any purported separate faction, asserting that the Constitution and anti-defection law do not permit the formation of a separate group within an existing political party.
The Mamata Banerjee-led party is facing a massive rebellion among its lawmakers after its defeat in the West Bengal assembly election. The dissident camp has claimed that it has support of 22 MPs and will meet the Speaker seeking recognition as a separate parliamentary bloc.
In his letter, party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee requested that the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) be treated as a single political party represented in the House only through its duly authorised leader and whip, and that the party be given an opportunity to present its case before any decision is taken on any communication from dissident MPs.
The letter dated June 10 was submitted on Sunday by TMC MPs Kirti Azad and Sagarika Ghose at Birla's residence here.
"Treat the AITC as a single political party represented in the House solely through its duly authorised Leader and Whip, and decline to accord any recognition, status, or facility to any purported separate group or faction of the AITC," Banerjee said in his letter.
Citing the Supreme Court's Constitution Bench judgment in the Maharashtra political crisis case, Banerjee argued that the defence of a "split" is no longer available under the Tenth Schedule and that the legal framework contemplates identification of one political party, not recognition of rival factions within it.
"Afford the AITC an opportunity of being heard before any decision is taken on any communication of the nature referred to above, should the same be received," he said.
Banerjee also contended that any merger claim would require both a merger of the political party and the support of two-thirds of legislators, and that satisfying only one of these conditions would not be sufficient under the law.
After meeting the Speaker, Azad said the Supreme Court's Constitution Bench had made it clear that a split within a political party was impermissible.
"We came here to submit a letter in connection with this only and urge the Speaker to work under the constitutional framework and its legalities," he said.
Ghose said the TMC was "indivisible" and that the Constitution does not permit the formation of a separate group within a party in the Lok Sabha.
"This is against the Constitution. We have given the letter that those who want to break the TMC and form a separate group within the Lok Sabha... the Constitution does not allow this and it is against law," she said.
On rebel MPs, she said, "This reflects your moral weakness that when the party loses, you abandon that party, that leader, that symbol on which you won."
The rebel camp has maintained that it enjoys the backing of a majority of the party's parliamentary strength.
Abhishek Banerjee said the Trinamool Congress reserves its right to initiate proceedings under the anti-defection law against any conduct violating the provisions of the Tenth Schedule.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters at Kolkata airport before leaving for New Delhi, rebel MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar said two more Lok Sabha members were expected to join the faction shortly, taking its strength in the House to 22.
"We are meeting the Speaker tomorrow and will seek recognition as a separate parliamentary bloc," she said.
The battle for control of the TMC is being fought simultaneously in Parliament and the West Bengal Assembly.
Last week, 64 of the party's 80 MLAs broke away and secured recognition as a separate legislative formation with Ritabrata Banerjee being recognised as the Leader of Opposition.
That decision has been challenged by the Mamata Banerjee-led faction before the Calcutta High Court.
