BJP hell-bent on humiliating Cong, others: NCP on Jayanthi Natarajan

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Sunday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government is trying hard to humiliate the Congress Party and others for political gains.

"There is a fresh crime registered against the former environment minister of UPA. This is allegedly yet another scam uncovered. It seems that the BJP and NDA Government is hell-bent to pick up one after the other ministers and then try to humiliate Congress or bring disrepute for political gains," NCP leader Majeed Memon told ANI.

He added that the BJP is taking an interest in Tamil Nadu because the politics there is at peak.

"People are not going to be easily swayed by such allegations which maybe without merits. Natarajan will be given opportunities to explain few questions raised by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). This is too early to humiliate somebody because you cannot hurl accusations with an intention to take revenge," he asserted.

Another NCP leader Nawab Malik said, "The way case has been registered against former environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan for that the violation of forest act is there."

"If anybody violates the act and giving any kind of favour to any private organization then there is investigation going on. If she has violated the law then law will take its course," he added.

Earlier in the day, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered an F.I.R. against Natarajan and raided her premises in Chennai.

The CBI also filed an F.I.R. under section 120B PC Act and for criminal conspiracy and abuse of official position.

Electrosteel Casting Ltd., its then Managing Director Umang Kejriwal and others were also named in the F.I.R.

At the time of filing this report, the CBI was conducting searches at five different locations, namely Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Ranchi and Odisha's Sundergarh in connection with the case.