Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday alleged that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal and the BJD in Odisha have benefitted out of the chit fund scam as "ponzi firms like Sharada, Seashore and Artha Tatwa were running under their patronage".
Commenting on CBI-WB police faceoff and a BJD MP's comment on chit fund in Parliament, Pradhan said those who have looted away poor people's hard earned money should be punished through CBI investigation. "Now, political parties involved in chit fund scam have united in fear. While the CBI is now discharging its constitutional power by conducting investigation, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Benerjee has created a political chaos," he alleged.
He said the BJD supported some MPs who were opposing chit fund scam in the West Bengal during discussion in the Lok Sabha. He said the allegation of theBJD and the Congress of being A team and B team of each other was proved from the discussion.
Stating that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has not yet clarified about the relationship between Saroj Sahoo and the Naveen Niwas, Pradhan wanted to know if Sahoo is not involved in chit fund scam.
Regarding the State police's summon to BJP leaders, Pradhan said, "Nobody is above law. The police should make it clear if they have any clue to summon them. It doesn't mean that the SIT monitoring (of chit fund scam probe) will be delayed."
On the allegation of the Union Government using the CBI, he said the Central agency has been conducting probe before the Modi Government came to power.