BJP in cahoots with West Bengal coal mafia: TMC

KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress has alleged that coal smugglers had come to see off Union home minister Amit Shah at Andal airport in West Bengal on Friday. Shah had participated in rallies at Krishnaganj, Rampurhat and Raniganj.
TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee made the allegation during a road show at Uluberia on Saturday. Speaking to reporters, state minister Sashi Panja also alleged that BJP was hand-in-glove with Bengal’s coal mafia.“Many involved in smuggling of coal were seen during the departure of home minister Amit Shah,” she alleged.
TMC said Joydev was a coal smuggler and listed out names of 16 BJP functionaries who had come to see off Shah. The list was signed by Bappa Chatterjee, BJP’s Asansol organizational district president. TMC also shared a photograph where Shah was seen taking a lotus from Joydev at the airport.
Joydev, however, said he went to see off Shah as a BJP functionary. “I joined BJP in 2019. I am currently a member of BJP’s Asansol organizational district committee and election committee. The party had given me the responsibility, so I went to Andal airport,” he said.