ED Grills Abhishek Banerjee for 11 Hours in School Recruitment Scam Probe

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday questioned Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee for more than 11 hours in connection with its money laundering probe into the alleged West Bengal primary school recruitment scam , even as the political crisis within the party intensified in Parliament.

Banerjee appeared before the ED in Kolkata, where investigators examined financial records, digital evidence, bank transactions and statements of other accused persons as part of efforts to trace the alleged money trail linked to recruitment irregularities. The agency said the session was videographed and documented, with responses to be cross-checked against evidence gathered during the investigation.

The development came amid a deepening split within the TMC after around 20 rebel MPs announced their merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and sought recognition as a separate group in the Lok Sabha.

Sources said Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will hear both the rebel faction and the camp led by Mamata Banerjee before deciding on any recognition request. According to TMC sources, Abhishek Banerjee received an email from the Speaker's office on Monday afternoon seeking a meeting in New Delhi, but he was unable to attend as he was still being questioned by the ED. TMC MP Kirti Azad subsequently informed the Speaker's office of Banerjee's inability to travel.

Parliamentary sources said the Speaker is expected to seek legal opinion before taking a decision on the rebels' demand, with a ruling likely before the Monsoon Session of Parliament . Constitutional experts have questioned the validity of MPs independently merging with another party under the anti-defection law , arguing that only a political party not legislators alone can formally merge with another political organisation.

After the ED questioning, Banerjee said he had cooperated fully with investigators and would appear again if summoned, while alleging that repeated actions by central agencies were aimed at weakening opposition forces in West Bengal.