The CBI on Friday arrested West Bengal Transport Minister Madan Mitra, one of Mamata Banerjee’s blue-eyed boys, in connection with the Saradha chit fund scam, provoking the Chief Minister to declare an all-out war against the BJP Government at the Centre, daring it to arrest her.
Mamata also doled out an open threat of retaliation, saying, “what if I arrest a Union Minister from Bengal,” literally provoking a large number of Trinamool men to block roads and demonstrate at the CBI headquarters at the CGO complex.
Following Madan Mitra’s arrest, a large number of BJP and Congress workers also came out on the streets, rejoicing and bursting crackers.
Mitra submitted his resignation during the day but it was not accepted by the Chief Minister. Mitra was arrested in a case relating to Saradha Realty on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, misappropriation of funds, as well as deriving undue financial benefits from the Saradha Group, a CBI spokesman said.
He was taken into custody after five hours of intense questioning at the Salt lake CGO complex, housing the CBI office. CBI sources said that Mitra would be taken to Electronics Complex Police Station tonight and produced at the Alipur Court on Saturday.
After Mitra’s arrest, Mamata did not react at first, but erupted after BJP State president Rahul Sinha demanded her statement. A visibly agitated Chief Minister first dared the CBI to arrest her if they could and then issued indirect threats.
Not only this, in a fit of rage, Mamata even divulged Mitra’s future course of action, saying she would visit him in hospital. “I will go and visit him at the SSKM Hospital. let the CBI arrest me if they think me a thief and face the consequences,” she yelled even as Opposition leaders called her tantrums a “hollow noise” that she was “making before her obvious fall.”
Terming Mitra’s arrest an act of “political goondagiri” she thundered: “This is an unconcealed instance of political vendetta and would be dealt with politically from tomorrow.”
Attacking the Centre for “trying to bulldoze a democratically-elected Government” Mamata called the move “unconstitutional” as the CBI allegedly “arrested him by deceit because he was called for questioning but was arrested instead”. Her senior party colleague and Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee wondered whether “we can bring privilege motion against the CBI.” The Trinamool has planned a statewide campaign in protest against the arrest from Saturday, Mukherjee said.
Mitra was the fourth senior Trinamool leader to be arrested after fellow party leaders and MPs Kunal Ghosh and Srinjoy Bose. Another senior Trinamool leader and former DGP Rajat Majumdar is also in jail.
“The whole game of the CBI was planned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah. The people of Bengal will not spare them in days to come,” Mamata said adding Mitra’s arrest was planned when Shah visited Kolkata during his November 30 rally. “I dare them to arrest me. I want to see the strength of Narendra Modi’s police and Amit Shah’s goons. They are thinking that they are the father of God (Bhagwaner baba). Who are theyIJ They are nothing in front of the people.”
She even went to the extent of threatening Union Ministers with arrest saying “what will they do if I arrest a Central Minister in Bengal.” “How could the CBI break norms by arresting a Minister without informing the Government,” she asked.
Such was the impact of Mamata’s statement that a group of Trinamool men even leapt at the vehicle carrying Mitra to the police station after arrest. The CBI officials remained tightlipped but inside reports said the Minister was not cooperating with them. He was not replying to the questions asked and was trying to divert the whole issue.
“Either he remained silent or tried to divert the context or he failed to give satisfying answers to the pointed questions related to the evidence that had been collected against him. Mitra was arrested after five hours of grilling,” sources said.
The evidence against Mitra included his recorded telephonic conversations with Saradha chief Sudipto Sen, statements and documentary proofs provided by the Saradha staff including drivers of Mitra and Sen. Rahul Sinha reacted to the Chief Minister’s “irresponsible statements” saying “she should have kept the dignity of her post in mind before making such wild charges.”
“The CBI is investigating the Saradha case not at the behest of the BJP but under the order of the Supreme Court and her statements amount to contempt of court. No one has till now called Mamata Banerjee a thief, then why is she confessing beforehand in public daring the CBI to arrest her if they considered her a thief,” he said.
Sinha said the Trinamool’s end was nearing and “hordes of sidelined and sincere Trinamool workers are calling me up expressing their desire to join the BJP.” State Opposition leader Mishra asked why the CBI was delaying the arrest of Mamata and her other senior colleagues. His party would now hit the streets with the demand of arresting other leaders too, he said. Congress leader Abdul Mannan who was the original petitioner in the case seeking a CBI investigation said “the case is finally reaching its logical end. But we still have to wait and see.”