Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress is facing the heat. While MP Mahua Moitra is facing scrutiny in the cash for query scam, West Bengal forest minister Jyotipriya Mallick was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate early Friday morning (27 October) after being questioned for over 20 hours in connection to the ‘ration scam’.
The arrest came after the ED authorities carried out marathon raids at Mallick’s residence in Kolkata’s Salt Lake area. They also raided his ancestral house on Amherst Street in central Kolkata.
On being whisked away by the ED personnel, the minister said he was the “victim of a grave conspiracy”.
Reacting to the raids and his consequent arrest, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee called it a “dirty political game” by the BJP”. “What atrocities and lawlessness are occurring? BJP is playing a dirty game. I want to know whether they there has been even one such raid at the residence of any BJP leader? Neither they nor we will remain in power forever. New generation will come up to take over. But they are leaving blunders for the next generation.”
Her state minister Shashi Panja also criticised the raids at Mallick’s residences, asserting that “this is an attack on the culture of Bengal at the time of Bijoya Dasami”. This is nothing but vendetta politics. We have seen there were raids at our leaders’ places before Durga Puja when we were demonstrating, demanding release of (MGNREGA) funds”.
The multi-crore ration scam
In its official release, the ED said that Mallick’s arrest came in connection with an alleged case of corruption in the rationing distribution, referring to the multi-crore ration scam.
The scam pertains to alleged irregularities in the public distribution system (PDS), and in distribution of food grains during the COVID-19 induced lockdowns while Mallick held the portfolio for the Food and Civil Supplies Department.
The raids on Mallick’s residence came after the arrest of a businessman Bakibur Rahaman, who is said to be close to the Bengal minister. An IANS report, quoting agency insiders, says that documents seized from the residence and office of Bakibur Rahman led them to Mallick.
The documents gathered from Rahman reveal irregularities in selling of wheat meant for distribution through fair price shops in the open market in 2020 and 2021 when Mallick was the food minister.
Secondly, Rahman’s wealth in the recent past has grown significantly; he owns several hotels, resorts and bars besides a rice mill business. The BJP had earlier questioned how Rahman had amassed such wealth in a short amount of time. West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar had been quoted as telling Indian Express: “Businessman Bakibur Rahman, who was arrested earlier, has links with the state minister. These need to be probed, as well as how he (Rahman) made such a fortune? Did he use Mallick’s influence? Who actually owns the wealth?”
A close aide of Mamata Banerjee
For many observers, the arrest of Jyotipriya Mallick will be a bigger hit for Mamata Banerjee as the leader is a trusted lieutenant of the party chief.
Known as ‘Balu Da’, Mallick belongs to Burdwan’s ‘Agoori’ community – a warrior community with links to Burdwan’s erstwhile ‘Maharaja – and holds significant influence over the state’s Matua community.
It’s important to note that the Matuas are the largest Scheduled Caste community in West Bengal, and can impact poll results in about 50 constituencies across the state.
Mallick is the current president of North 24 Parganas district unit of the Trinamool Congress and he’s also credited with introducing Mamata Banerjee to the Matuas, which enabled her to secure a victory in the 2011 Assembly polls.
It was after this win that Banerjee made Mallick the minister of the food and supplies department. In his tenure as food minister – from 2011 to 2021 – he implemented the Digital Ration Card in the state and began providing one kg rice for Rs 2 to the downtrodden sections.
Other TMC ministers in the dock
Mallick adds to the list of TMC leaders being arrested or investigated for corruption. Earlier this year, former West Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee was arrested along with his aide Arpita Mukherjee in connection with alleged corruption in teachers’ recruitment.
TMC’s youth wing leader Santanu Banerjee has also been arrested earlier this year in connection with the teachers’ recruitment scam.
In October, the CBI also conducted searches at the residences of senior West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim and TMC MLA Madan Mitra as part of ongoing investigation into alleged irregularities in recruitments carried out by the state’s civic bodies.
Mamata’s nephew and TMC’s general secretary Abhishek Banerjee is also under the scanner in connection with its investigation into the school jobs scam in West Bengal.
With inputs from agencies
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