DIDI ALLEGES DHANKHAR HAS ‘TAINTED’ PAST

Describing West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar as “corrupt”, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday alleged in an explosive outburst that he was earlier chargesheeted for his role in the infamous 1996 Jain hawala scam.

The Trinamul Congress boss also claimed while Dhankhar’s name was later dropped after “the court was managed”, a PIL was filed later and has since been pending against him in the court.

She further challenged the Centre, if it was unaware of Dhankhar’s tainted past, to check the chargesheet in the high-profile financial scam.

Retaliating over Banerjee’s unprecedented attack within hours, a “disappointed” governor denounced her claims for creating a “sensation” and accused her of lying.

Banerjee told the media at Nabanna, the state secretariat: “Someone, who was a journalist, told me the present governor’s name was in the Jain hawala case in 1996. He was chargesheeted. But they went to court to clear his name. Again, a public interest litigation was filed there. It is still pending. He is a corrupt man, a corruption-oriented man. What more do you want to know?” She added: “Why does the Central government allow a Governor like him to continue? If the Central government is unaware of his involvement, I can explain it. Let the chargesheet of the Jain hawala case be brought out to check whether his name was there or not. The court was managed… But another case was filed later. It is yet to bear any outcome.”