Mitra's arrest: Manish Tewari backs Mamata, pulls up BJP

Congress leader Manish Tewari on Saturday said West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee should have been informed about her Cabinet colleague Madan Mitra's arrest by the CBI in connection with his role in the Saradha chit-fund scam

"The Chief Minister of West Bengal is absolutely correct that propriety demanded that if a member of the Council of Ministers was being arrested, at least the CM should have been informed," said Tewari.

"The manner in which the entire arrest has been carried out without going into the merits of the matter, very clearly not only smacks of political vendetta and vindictiveness but it seems very apparent that the CBI unfortunately is becoming a hand maiden in the politics of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)," he added.

Taking potshots at the BJP for earlier accusing the CBI of being the 'Congress bureau of investigation' when it was in the opposition, Tewari said that they have even traversed their own record in terms of political vendetta and political partiality after coming to power.

"The BJP has a history of abusing and misusing institutions for political purposes and, therefore, those very people who used to accuse the UPA or the Congress earlier of doing something which they had never done have in fact even beaten their own record in the misuse of such agencies. The BJP has now started utilizing the instrumentalities of the state against political opponents and this is not only unethical, unconstitutional, but it is most unfortunate," he said.

Taking strong exception to Mitra's arrest by the CBI in connection with the Saradha scam, Mamata had yesterday termed it illegal and unconstitutional.

"I dare the Prime Minister and the BJP leadership to arrest me," she said while alleging vindictive politics by the Centre.

Mitra's arrest has come as a major setback for the West Bengal Government as the CBI had earlier last month arrested TMC lawmaker Srinjoy Bose in connection with the scam.