With her party’s popularity graph falling fast in the wake of the Rs20,000-crore chit-fund scam, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday picked up the cudgel against the Opposition blaming both the CPI(M) and the Congress for “conceiving and nurturing” the swindlers’ clique “and now shifting the blame on us.”
Her venomous attack on the Opposition notwithstanding the Trinamool Congress supremo would in no part of her lengthy public speech deny the association of some of her comrades with the ponzy fund swindlers.
She told a huge party rally at Shyambazar in north Kolkata that “there may be some bad members in a family. This does not mean that all the members should be punished.”
There was “no reason why everyone should be held responsible for the mistake committed by a few persons” she wondered tending to absolve the ruling party as a whole but partly conceding the close chemistry between smoke and fire so to say.
“There are some well-dressed people who come to the television shows and spread canards against us,” she said in the first ever rally after the Saradha scam exploded in the face of her Government.
“These people are trying to damage my party’s name but none would raise a question against the CPI(M) that allowed the chit-funds to grow in the State. These shady funds were operating since the 1980s but they drafted a law in 2003 and that too was a faulty one. Finally, it was sent back by the Centre. Can I ask in whose interest the Marxists prepared a faulty lawIJ” the Chief Minister said.
Explaining her Government’s stance on the chit-fund issue she reminded how “my Government arrested the prime accused in 72 hours” adding “in fact the FIR was lodged at my instance.”
launching a scathing attack against the Congress she said, “the chit funds are controlled by the SEBI and the RBI which are Central organisations. But what were they doingIJ Why did they allow them to flourish without taking action against themIJ”
The Chief Minister said, “the Congress which is running the Central Government is demanding CBI probe into the chit-fund scam but where is the reliability of CBIIJ They must remember the recent observations of the Supreme Court about the CBI.”
However, Congress leader Manas Bhunia said there are many point in the CM’s speech that can go against her party and the Government. We are examining it closely.”
In an apparent bid to de-link her name from some of her family members on certain issues raised by the left Front, Banerjee said, “I would tell one and all not to link my name with others as I have no family. I am alone. I cannot take the responsibility of everyone.” Curiously the CPI(M) leader Gautam Deb had on Wednesday raised questions on his nephew’s alleged micro-finance links.
“While the Centre allowed the chit funds to grow, the Marxists minted money from them by drawing advertisements for the CPI(M) mouthpiece,” Banerjee said insisting she never allowed her party mouthpiece to take advertisement from the chit funds.
Coming down heavily on the Congress-run Centre for its “dirty connivance with the Marxists”, the Chief Minister said “they cannot take actions against the swindlers but they can take away our hard earned money in the name of interests on debts. The Centre is taking Rs21,000 crore from us whereas we earn Rs20,000 crore. I have repeatedly visited the PM but nothing has happened. They are friendlier to the CPI(M) than the people of Bengal.”