Chit fund scam: TMC blames PM for inaction

Demands resignation of MoS health, questions role of Prime Minister

Trinamool Congress attempted to deflect attention from itself in connection with the Saradha chit fund case and took the moral high ground blaming the Centre for inaction despite receiving complaints on fraudulent chit funds.

The Trinamool Congress has demanded the resignation of Union MoS Health AH Khan Chaudhary who had written a series of letters wherein he first alleged fraudulent that the Saradha group’s activities were fraudulent and then changed his stance taking a U turn praising them instead.

In Parliament, to take the advantage away from the Left, the TMC also raised slogans demanding resignation of tainted ministers.   

In the Rajya Sabha, TMC members trooped into the Well of the house raising slogans like “chit fund ke zimmedaar mantri, isteefa do” (ministers involved in the chit fund scam should quit) and “chit fund bandh karo” (stop chit funds).

Likewise to counter the Left parties who raised the issue in the Lok Sabha, TMC MPs Kalyan Banerjee, Tapas Pal and Satabdi Roy walked into the well of the house.

TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien speaking to reporters said the party was doing its own investigations into the case and “no one will be spared”.

Rejecting the demand by the Left for a CBI probe, he said, “The Left and the Congress are trying to play angels. The Chit Fund Bill has been there since 2003-04. Why was the Bill not cleared? The Congress and the Left were in power at that time. We are taking quick actions.”

Drawing the Prime Minister and Congress minister AH Khan Chaudhary into the dock, O Brien said, “There are three letters written by Minister of State for Health (who) wrote one letter in September 2011 slamming the Sarada group.

Six months later, he wrote a letter to the Prime Minister praising the group and even asking him to keep this group out of the purview of the Reserve Bank.”

O Brien added, “Two months later, he wrote another letter where not only he praised Sarada group but also slammed its competitors. The Minister of State for Health needs to resign but the bigger question is that the Prime Minister received three letters but no action was taken and he is answerable.”

Rejecting allegations about the involvement of TMC MPs in the scam, O Brien said, “TMC  has no connection whatsoever with the Sarada group. My two colleagues who are in question, they have made their statements. Quick action is being taken.”

He went onto state that a SIT and judicial probe had been ordered, a special Assembly session had been called on Monday and a Rs 500 crore corpus had been announced for the victims of the scam.

Meanwhile, an FIR has been lodged at the Park Street police station in Kolkata by Channel 10, the television channel run by the Saradha group, journalists on the issue of non payment of salaries.

TMC senior leaders however dismissed this as “not a serious issue” indicating that TMC MP Kunal Ghosh might not just as yet, be asked to step down.