Congress demands Mamata's resignation over Saradha scam

Stepping up its attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Congress Sunday demanded her resignation over the Saradha scam.

During a convention organised here to condemn the Saradha scam which has ruined lakhs of depositors across the state, Congress leaders slammed the ruling Trinamool Congress for its bid to thwart the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which is probing the multi-crore-rupee scandal.

"The chief minister cannot deny that fingers are being pointed at her honesty and integrity. So we reiterate our demand that she should step down until the CBI comes out with the truth," party leader and former union minister Deepa Dasmunsi said.

Congress state unit chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said his party will organise a condemnation meet in the city Sep 19 over the scam.

The Congress also demanded exemplary action for a Trinamool Rajya Sabha member who is alleged to have links with Bangladeshi fundamentalist outfit Jamaat-e-Islami.

"If it is proved that the Trinamool MP has links with terrorists or the Jamaat, then he should be treated as a traitor and given exemplary punishment," party leader Pradip Bhattacharya said.

Besides the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Communist Party of India-Marxist too have accused the Trinamool MP of having links with the Jamaat.

The MP has, however, rubbished the allegations, calling them defamatory.