Trinamul Congress has taken a strong exception to Election Commission’s notice seeking an explanation on the role of its MP who was intercepted at IGI Airport in the national capital while carrying about `45 lakh to poll-bound Assam recently. The party has blamed the commission of giving out a “knee-jerk reaction” on the issue and issuing the notice “without proper application of mind”.
In a strongly-worded letter to the EC, TMC MP and minister of state for shipping in Union Cabinet Mukul Roy said, “We are constrained to reiterate that the letter is a knee-jerk reaction from the Election Commission and has been issued without proper application of mind and has the effect of tarnishing the image of our party.”
“We would like to categorically state that the MP was not carrying any cash with him. In fact, it is with great anguish and dismay we would like to mention that the Election Commission, without proper inquiry, has fallen into the trap of interested parties whose sole motive is to damage the image of All India Trinamool Congress Party,” Mr Roy stated in his three-page letter.
“The MP, K.D. Singh was not even questioned by the concerned authorities as he was not carrying any cash with him,” he said, adding, “there were six senior officials of Alchemist Group (Singh’s firm) who were carrying some cash as they were in the midst of negotiations to purchase a tea garden in Assam. The cash was not even used and was brought back and this has also been verified by the authorities.”