“My surname isn’t Modi…”: TMC Abhishek Banerjee evokes the surname debate while claiming he will neither abscond nor bow down before New Delhi

Trinamool Congress National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee has stoked the surname debate while suggesting that he is not an escapist. Lashing out at the Enforcement Directorate over raids at his office ‘Leaps & Bounds’, the TMC MP alleged that the central agency had tried framing him by downloading “unknown files” on his office computer during the course of the raid. He had been in the USA recently for a medical check-up and referring to that Banerjee claimed that during his treatment abroad canards were spread indicating he had escaped fearing any legal action.

“I went outside for treatment but there were discussions in the media that I won’t return anymore. My surname isn’t Modi, Choksi or Mallya. My surname is Banerjee. My name is Abhishek Banerjee. I know how to fight with my head held high and not bow down before Delhi”, said Abhishek Banerjee, indicatively referring to Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and Vijay Mallya - three fugitives who are accused of defrauding banks. They had left India, escaped law and all of them are being probed by ED.

Banerjee reiterated that if there is any proof against him showing his involvement in any scam then he will walk to the gallows. The raids at his office happened a day after he returned to Kolkata. The raids lasted for close to 18 hours and were in connection with the ongoing teacher recruitment probe. Arrested accused Sujay Krishna Bhadra was the Chief Operating Officer at Leaps & Bounds and the agency claims they have seized documents, digital evidence, bank statements and a hard disk during the raids. ED in a statement issued later had also identified Abhishek Banerjee as the CEO of the same company. He has been examined by CBI. Three days after the raids, a company staffer had lodged a police complaint against ED alleging “16 unknown files not related to the company were downloaded” in one of the two other computers whose hard disks were not seized by the agency. “They planted 16 files. What if CBI comes seven days later to my office and recovers those files, they will claim they are my doings” said Abhishek Banerjee while suggesting that the agency had tried to frame him.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from parliament after he was convicted in March this year over his “all thieves have Modi as common surname” remark. Supreme Court later stayed the conviction enabling Rahul Gandhi to return to Parliament in August. Rahul Gandhi’s allusion was interpreted and as was claimed by BJP “was an insult to the Modi community”. Abhishek Banerjee while referring to the surnames had claimed that he would not abscond like the three fugitives.​