Hitting out at her favourite punching bag — the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) — West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday charged the agency with being a “political tool” of the NDA Government and functioning as a “department of the PMO”.
“We are the only party fighting a battle against the BJP, which is trying to bulldoze the TMC. That (arrest of WB Transport Minister Madan Mitra) is political vendetta. The BJP is jealous of us (but) democracy cannot be bulldozed or imposed,” Banerjee outside the Parliament.
Banerjee, who is in New Delhi to meet the President, spent a lot of time in the Central Hall talking to her colleagues and other political leaders. Banerjee maintained that her party had no role to play in the Saradha chit fund scam since it had not taken place under her Government and that there are many cases pending with CBI in which there has not been any outcome.
“It (CBI) is not an autonomous body, but a department of the PMO. If the CBI is important, then it should act in public interest. Rabindranath Tagore, who won the first Nobel prize in India... His Nobel medal was stolen, even that has not been found. Has CBI closed the caseIJ
“In the Gyaneshwari accident case (of 2010), around 200 people were killed. As the (then) Railways Minister, I had initiated a CBI enquiry, but nothing happened. In Singur, Rizwanur Rehman case, in Nandigram, in Netai... Nothing has happened. So is the CBI a tool of the GovernmentIJ
“If you ask me the role of CBI, (it is) A-political vendetta, B-political vendetta, C-political vendetta,” she said. She sought to defend Mitra, who was recently arrested by CBI in connection with the Saradha scam, saying the TMC is the only party that has no role to play in any scam.
“If you talk of about our MP (Kunal Ghosh) who was arrested, we gave nominations to three-four journalists as there was no representation from the media. They were not related to our party. TMC has no connection with any scam. Those who talk about scams should see that charity begins at home.
“Saradha did not take place during our Government. From 2001-2006, it happened during the left Front Government. And not only in Bengal, but also in Kerala, Tripura, Assam, Odisha. Chit fund is not illegal, but in the name of chit fund, cheating people is an illegal thing,” she said. She also interacted with Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and asked about his health.