Apparently foreseeing a destiny that could hit many in the Trinamool Congress hard as CBI proceeds with its probe in the Narada-Sharda cases Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday sent out a loud scream soaked more in helplessness than valour.
“If they (BJP) put 25 of us in jail, 25,000 will emerge to take them on,” she told an audience in Kolkata, before egging on the civil society and industrialists to descend on the streets against demonetisation and “communal” politics.
A day after she threatened the BJP with raiding Delhi “if you raid Bengal”, Banerjee said demonetisation was a “nightmare” for India and its economy.
The Chief Minister who had earlier expressed doubts over the way EVMs worked enabling the BJP get thumping majority in UP said, “irrespective of their (Centre’s) propaganda I will continue to say that demonetisation hit India and her people hard, a fact that the Government tried to suppress but can never be suppressed by them in the long run.”
The Chief Minister who was speaking at an inaugural programme asked the audience “whether you felt the pinch of the demonetisation. Tell me whether you have suffered, your business has suffered or not. If you cannot speak loudly just tell it within yourself because if you speak loudly they (BJP Government) will send CBI to subjugate your voice.”
She added, “I am not afraid of CBI because I have already prepared three generations of politicians in Bengal. let them arrest 25 us on various charges we will produce 25,000 to take them on.”
Proving the pundits wrong that Banerjee might refrain from attacking the BJP or Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the UP election results the Chief Minister told in a televised interview on Thursday that she would “raid Delhi and other parts of the country if they raid Bengal.”
She also aired her choice of the presidential candidate saying she had no problems if President Pranab Mukherjee (was re-elected) or for that matter lK Advani was made the president.
“If Pranab da is re-elected then it is fine. If they make Advaniji then also there is no problem though I was more comfortable with Atalji when he was the Prime Minister than Advaniji,” Banerjee said, adding she could also support candidates like External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj or lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.
“I will be happy if Sushma Swaraj or Sumitra Mahajan is nominated for the presidential post” she maintained, adding, however, she would consider only those people who were secular minded.
Meanwhile, in a related development the Trinamool Congress had decided to take “stern action” against party MP KD Singh for funding the Narada expose where a galaxy of senior party leaders including MPs and Ministers were seen accepting money from a journalist who faked as a prospective investor.
The tapes were published in March last year. Subsequently the Calcutta High Court ordered a CBI investigation into the case. The order was upheld by the Supreme Court as well.
“Our core committee will sit on April one and decide the matter of KD Singh --- on what kind of action may be taken against him,” a senior TMC leader said.
In an apparent tit-for-tat tactic the Bengal Police SIT had already started investigating a chit fund case against after lodging an FIR against Singh.