The TMC faction, led by Mamata Banerjee, found itself in further trouble on Monday after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla reportedly gave its leader Abhishek Banerjee just two hours to appear before him in Delhi, even as the latter was being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Kolkata.
According to TMC sources, Abhishek Banerjee received an email from the Speaker's office at around 2 pm asking him to meet Birla in Delhi by 4 pm the same day. This happened while Banerjee was being questioned by the ED in connection with the alleged teacher recruitment scam.
Banerjee's questioning by the ED continued for nearly 11 hours and lasted until midnight. According to reports, soon after the email was sent, the Speaker's office also contacted TMC MP Kirti Azad and informed him about the communication.
Azad reportedly told the Speaker's office that Abhishek Banerjee was "committed to cooperating with all investigative agencies" and was cooperating with the investigation at the ED office in CGO complex in Kolkata, according to news agency PTI.
The summons to Abhishek Banerjee came in the wake of the decision of around 20 TMC MPs to join a little-known Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). The rebel MPs have also staked a claim to being recognised as the "real TMC" in Parliament.
The development has put the Mamata Banerjee faction in a difficult position as the Speaker prepares to hear both the rebel MPs and the faction led by the former West Bengal chief minister.
Sources in Parliament said Birla is likely to seek legal opinion on the demand by the defected MPs to be recognised as a separate group after their proposed merger with the NCPI.
A decision on the matter is expected before the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which is likely to begin in the third week of July.
The crisis within the TMC escalated on Sunday when the rebel MPs met the Speaker and sought a separate seating arrangement in the Lok Sabha.
Meanwhile, Abhishek Banerjee alleged a conspiracy behind the developments, pointing to the timing of the ED questioning and the political turmoil within the party.
"I was questioned for 8-8.30 hours yesterday and for 11 hours today. This is a 2023 case, and I have appeared before the agency 10-12 times. I won't say whether there is political pressure or not. The less it is said about the BJP, the better it is. On one side, they break our party and indulge in post-poll violence. Even if you slit my throat, I won't cower down. I will appear before the agency if they summon me even in the future," he said.
