Kolkata: Just hours before the crucial public meeting of former West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee in Hooghly district later on Saturday, a Trinamool Congress leader from the district and a former member of the Hooghly Zilla Parishad, was arrested by the police.
The arrested leader is Tumpa Mete. The cops of the Dankuni Police Station arrested her on charges of cheating in the name of providing jobs.
“She is a former member of the Hooghly Zilla Parishad of the Trinamool Congress. Her name was also allegedly on the list of ineligible job seekers in the cash for school-job case in West Bengal,” said a district police officer.
However, the arrested leader had claimed that allegations raised against her were baseless. “My arrest just before our leader’s public meeting was a result of political vengeance which is a common affair these days in any corner of the state. All the allegations that I have been framed with are baseless,” she told media persons after being arrested.
It is learnt that Mete will be produced at a district court in Serampore later on Saturday and the Public Prosecutor will seek her police custody.
It is learnt that the allegation against Mete was that she herself got the school job by submitting a white paper. Her name was on the 2016 SSC panel that was cancelled by the Supreme Court on charges of corruption. She works at a state-run school as a non-teaching staff member.
Mamata Banerjee will hold a public meeting at the Serampore Court grounds later on Saturday. She got the permission from the Calcutta High Court to conduct the public meeting after the police denied permission for the same.
The Calcutta High Court had given permission to hold a meeting with a maximum of 1,000 people from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.. Preparations have been going on at the grounds for the past two days. A stage has been set up at the venue.
Former Trinamool Congress legislator and the convener of Hooghly district Trinamool Congress, Asit Majumdar said that preparations for the meeting are underway amid heavy rain.
“The meeting will start exactly at 4 p.m. We had to prepare for the meeting under very adverse conditions. The police did not give any permission first. We are doing things as per the Calcutta High Court’s orders. We have faith in the judiciary. The Calcutta High Court has given us permission to gather with 1,000 people. Similarly, we will hold a meeting with 1,000 party workers. Now if people come to see our leader, that is a different matter,” Majumdar said.
(IANS)
