Is Mamata trying to save top cop or herself, asks Javadekar

Questioning West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's sit-in protest over the CBI's attempt to question the Kolkata Police chief in connection with a ponzi scheme scam, Union Minister and senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar on Monday asked whether she wanted to save herself or the top cop.

"We want to ask who Mamata wants to save. Why is she holding a dharna (sit-in)? Does she want to save the police commissioner or herself? What is she trying to hide," asked the Union Human Resource Development Minister while addressing a press conference here.

Banerjee, surrounded by her ministers and top party leaders, continued her overnight sit-in protest at the Metro Channel in the city hub Dharamtala on Monday.

Samajwadi Party Vice President Kiranmoy Nanda also joined her at the sit-in as a representative of party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

Javadekar said Trinamool MPs and state Ministers, including Kunal Ghosh, Srinjoy Bose, Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Tapas Pal and Madan Mitra, have so far been arrested in connection with chit fund scam cases.

"Mamata did not demonstrate or hold any sit-in protest then. But why has she started the dharna today? What information does the police commissioner have for which Mamata has become so desperate to save him and is now sitting on the road? People want answers to these questions," Javadekar said.

He said it is "an attempt to kill democracy."

--IANS

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