In a stinging attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for alleging “political vendetta” by the Centre, the BJP on Saturday said the TMC leader was “rattled” by the possibility that her “own involvement” could come to light in the ever-widening Saradha scam in the State and “her dare will go away” if any link of her was found by the police in the chit-fund scandal.
Responding to the sharp attack by the TMC supremo, who dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to arrest her, BJP said “dare does not matter” as these “are politically motivated attempts”. “..If anything which is linking Mamata Banerjee with the scam, she would be investigated and interrogated by the CBI. It is for CBI to take that call and not for me to direct the CBI”, BJP MP Meenakshi lekhi told newspersons outside Parliament. In an embarrassment to the ruling Trinamool Congress, West Bengal Transport Minister Madan Mitra was Friday arrested by CBI in the multi-crore Saradha scam, prompting Mamata to slam BJP calling it a “political vendetta” and a “dirty conspiracy”.
lekhi said that if Banerjee has done anything wrong or committed any wrong in terms of conspiracy which has happened or if any link is found connecting her with Saradha scam “her dare will go away” because the police then take its course.Another party spokesperson GVl Narsimha Rao attacked Banerjee, saying she was making “adventurous comments” without explaining for the kind of “criminal conspiracy” that her party leaders were engaged in perpetrating “chit fund scam”.
“She is possibly rattled by the revelations and possibly fears that her own involvement in the scam would come to light,” he said. BJP national secretary Sidharth Nath Singh and in-charge of West Bengal said it is unfortunate that rather than giving a sober advice to her own leadership not to react, she herself is reacting like this. “This just goes to show her panic button,” he said.
Singh also reminded that it was not the BJP Government but the Supreme Court, which had ordered an enquiry into it in May 2014.Singh said that it was under the direction of the Supreme Court that the CBI enquiry is going on and that the accusations of the chit fund scam did not come from the BJP but from leaders of Trinamool like Kunal Ghosh.
“One should ask Banerjee that you were the Chief Minister, when the scam happened under your nose, your own Government was there. Why did you not stop it at the first place.” Rao wondered as why Banerjee is not offering any reason as why those arrested should not be arrested.
“Why they should not be arrested, when they have actually cheated”.”They are partners with Saradha chit fund promoters in causing grievous loss to millions of people of West Bengal. I think the criminality involved in these cases is extremely serious.
“Rather than giving explanation for such involvement, rather than taking action against her own party members and people who actually colluded with the scamsters, she is only indulging in political rhetoric and political propaganda,” he said.
The BJP spokesperson maintained that the Trinamool Congress and Banerjee must realise that having power in the state and being elected to the office does not give one a “license to indulge in corruption”.