The police on Saturday subjected Trinamool MP Kunal Ghosh to intense grilling — a day after he unfurled his flag of rebellion against the leadership for “making him a scapegoat” in the Saradha scam case.
The journalist-turned-politician, who along with three other fellow parliamentarians, addressed a public meeting in South Kolkata on Friday where they questioned the top leadership’s alleged deceitful conduct. Kunal Ghosh, once a close confidant of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, had on Friday made circuitous remarks against his party’s top leadership saying, “there is a limit to wearing mask of honesty” and promising to “reveal everything”.
Kunal was questioned by Bidhannagar Joint Commissioner of Police Arnab Ghosh for over three hours, police said, adding he had been summoned again on Sunday. “We have received several new facts from the MP during interrogation and are proceeding accordingly,” a top IPS officer said, adding “the police may file a supplementary charge-sheet in the case.”
Kunal told newsperson on Saturday that he would cooperate with the police and “would come answer their questions as many times they call me.” He had gone against the State Government’s line on Friday demanding a CBI probe into the case. “I want a CBI probe as some leaders are trying to make me a scapegoat” adding “let all those who the Saradha group chief Sudipto Sen knows or came in contact with be grilled by the CBI.”
As a response to the Friday’s incident, the Trinamool Congress also issued show-cause notices to the other two MPs Shatabdi Roy and Tapas Paul, the two renowned Bengali film actors who had on Friday openly backed Shikha Mitra a suspended party MlA.
Mitra, who was earlier suspended by the party for openly speaking out against Mamata Banerjee, is the wife of Somen Mitra a Trinamool MP who was a PCC president and powerful Congress chieftain in the State before joining hands with Banerjee. In fact Banerjee had left the Congress in 1998 following her tiff with Mitra a veteran politician.
Reacting sharply to the development, senior Trinamool leader Mukul Roy on Saturday said “such rebellious talks must end once and for all” adding the party disciplinary committee was taking up the issue and had issued show-cause notices to the said leaders. “The party will take strong action against the leaders for anti-party activities which will not be tolerated,” he said reminding how the people of Bengal were still with the Chief Minister as could be proved from the results of the panchayat elections.
Meanwhile, the Bengal Finance Department on Saturday issued circular empowering the DMs and the SPs to raid and prosecute the chit fund operators in the State.