CPI-M demands CBI interrogation of Mamata Banerjee
The CPI(M) has demanded for Mamata Banerjee’s interrogation in the Saradha Chit Fund Scam. (Source: Indian Express archive)
On the second day of its five-day 24th state conference on Tuesday, the CPI(M) demanded that Trinamool Congress Chief (TMC) Mamata Banerjee be interrogated by CBI, in the wake of the arrest of her party leaders and ministers in Saradha chit fund scam.
“TMC is the epitome of chit fund corruption. The cat is now out of the bag…Now the CBI investigation is bringing out the truth,” said Mohammed Salim, Central Committee member of CPI(M). “CBI should interrogate its supremo Mamata Banerjee, as she is the head of the big TMC family. We want the truth to come out and the money siphoned off by the chit fund companies be returned. We feel that CBI should look into the larger conspiracy as stated by Supreme Court and end the investigation fast as cheated investors are getting impatient,” he added.
Mocking the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mamata Banerjee in Delhi on Monday, he stated that it was a ‘desperate bid’ by the West Bengal Chief Minister to scuttle CBI probe.
He also raised questions on the sale of paintings to Sudipto Sen, Group Chairman of the Saradha group. Salim, however, accepted that due to the dwindling organizational strength of CPI-M, the movement expected in the wake of multi-crore chit fund scam could not take place. “Yes it is true that compared to our input in organizing the movement against chit fund scam, the output was not according to expectations,” he said.
The CPI(M) accepted a draft resolution demanding that money be returned to the defrauded investors by selling the property of those who benefited from the Saradha chit fund scam. The party also insisted that the list of people who had benefited from the scam be made public.
The Trinamool Congress leadership has termed the CBI investigation into the Saradha scam as a political conspiracy to malign the party, and accused the erstwhile CPI(M)-led Left regime for helping the chit fund scam thrive in Bengal.
Source:: Indian Express
