'Interrogate people named by Kunal Ghosh'

CPI-M politburo member Surjya Kanta Mishra Wednesday demanded the police quiz people named by suspended Trinamool Congress member Kunal Ghosh in West Bengal's Saradha chit fund scam.

In a video, recorded before his arrest Saturday and aired by television channel 24 Ghanta, Ghosh named politicians and police officers who "could help in revealing the truth" behind the biggest financial scam to hit the state.

Mishra, also the leader of opposition, said it was proper the people against whom allegations have been levelled should be questioned. "If she (Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee) is a symbol of honesty, then what is she scared of?"

Mishra said there could not be two sets of laws - one for Ghosh, and the other for those he has named as being closely associated with Saradha promoter Sudipta Sen.

"Each of those named by Ghosh should be questioned and if need be, they can be arrested," said Mishra. He drew attention to arrest of cabinet ministers on graft charges, and said there was no logic that those named cannot be taken behind bars.

Mishra said the Left Front has been demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe long before Ghosh came out with his allegations.

"We have been asking for a Supreme Court-monitored CBI probe. We have taken our demand to the Prime Minister (Manamohan Singh), President (Pranab Mukherjee) and Finance Minister (P. Chidambaram).

"Whatever the Left parties have been saying on the issue is now being corroborated."

Mishra referred to Ghosh's claims he was put behind bars so his voice could not be heard and said "the revelations are hair raising".

Echoing Mishra, state Congress president Pradip Bhattacharya said: "Certainly, something is there. It has to be properly investigated. But Bidhan Nagar police commissionerate (probing the Saradha muddle) cannot investigate this. We have to take up the issue with Governor (M.K. Narayanan."

Congress MLAs, boycotting the assembly proceedings over the past few days for not being allowed an opportunity to counter in the house Banerjee's allegations of the central government's discriminatory attitude, also pressed for a CBI probe.

"Had such allegations been made against me, I would have resigned," said Congress lawmaker and former minister Manoj Chakraborty.