TMC, BJP trade charges over arrest of MLA by ED in Bengal school job 'scam'

Kolkata: The TMC on Monday alleged that the arrest of its MLA Jiban Krishna Saha by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the alleged irregularities in school recruitments was part of "vendetta politics" by the BJP ahead of the 2026 West Bengal assembly elections.

The BJP also claimed that the central agency's action proves that West Bengal's ruling party and corruption are "two sides of the same coin".

Earlier in the day, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Trinamool Congress legislator Jiban Krishna Saha in connection with the school job "scam".

Saha, the legislator from Burwan in Murshidabad, was taken into custody after the ED conducted raids at his residence and those of his relatives.

The Trinamool Congress lashed out at the BJP-led Centre over the arrest.

"@BJP4India runs on an E ² policy! The first 'E', the @ECISVEEP is used as a weapon to strip citizens of their voting rights. If that fails, the second 'E', the @dir_ed, is unleashed as a political weapon," the TMC alleged on X.

The party also claimed, "As exposed by our Parliamentary Party Leader Shri @abhishekaitc, the 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill is not aimed at fighting corruption. Its sole purpose is to crush the Opposition. This is dictatorship in disguise." TMC state vice-president Jaiprakash Majumdar alleged that the move was politically motivated.

"Saha was earlier arrested. But even after keeping him in custody for nearly a year, he got bail as a central probe agency couldn't prove anything. But now ED has arrested him. This only proves that ED is working at the behest of the BJP ahead of the assembly polls," he claimed.

Saha was earlier arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2023 in the school jobs scam, and later, he was released on bail.

The BJP, however, countered the allegation strongly.

"TMC and the school service commission scam are two sides of the same coin. Not just Saha, earlier education minister Partha Chatterjee, MLA Manik Bhattacharya and others have been arrested. The SSC aspirants, who lost their jobs, keep asking why they are being punished for the corruption of TMC leaders. Why should those who looted the future of students not be arrested? " senior BJP leader Jagganath Chattopadhyay said.

According to officials, the TMC MLA tried to flee his residence by scaling a wall and threw his mobile phones into a drain, which were later recovered.

He has been arrested for alleged non-cooperation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Videos from Monday's raid showed a drenched Saha being escorted by ED and CRPF personnel from a garbage-strewn patch of land, adding dramatic visuals to a scandal that continues to haunt Bengal politics.

The ED's probe stems from a CBI FIR filed on the directions of the Calcutta High Court into alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Group C and D staff, assistant teachers of Classes 9 to 12, and primary teachers in state-aided schools.

The ED has been investigating the money laundering aspect of the alleged scam, while the CBI is probing the criminal links to it.