TMC MP arrested by CBI: Mamata lambasts Centre, says BJP connected to Pearl chit scam

Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Bengali film star and Trinamool Congress (TMC) lawmaker Tapas Paul in connection with Rose Valley ponzi scheme, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday retaliated, saying the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is connected to Pearl group chit fund scam worth Rs. 50, 000 crores.

Mamata further alleged that BJP MPs Babul Supriyo and Rupa Ganguly are also associated with the scam.

"The BJP is connected to Pearl group chit fund scam worth Rs 50,000 crore. Their members Babul Supriyo and Rupa Ganguly are also associated with the scam," Mamata said.

Taunting the Centre, Mamata said, "Even Amitabh ji is promoting a state; many film stars and cricketers promoted Sahara; Was Centre sleeping?" she said.

The TMC chief alleged that their party members are getting arrested for protesting against demonetisation.

"The TMC is protesting against note ban, but that doesn't mean that we have to be arrested by the CBI," she said.

"Modi Babu, arrest all my MPs and MLAs if you want; you don't need to summon us, we are ready; But we will not be deterred," she added.

Taking a dig at Prime Minister Modi, who today launched an e-wallet Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) app, named after Dalit icon Bhim Rao Ambedkar to facilitate e-payments, Mamata said, "A lottery app has been named after Ambedkar by the Centre; This is a crude mentality and insulting to backward classes."

She also said by scrapping Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 notes, the Prime Minister has destroyed the economy and endangered the country's external and internal security

"Today is the end of Modi ji's self-set 50-day deadline; the country went through a tumultuous situation," Mamata said.

"The Prime Minister promised to bring back black money but couldn't do so. He destroyed economy and endangered the country's external and internal security," she added.