Mamata dares Modi government to arrest all Trinamool MPs, MLAs

Accusing the BJP of having association with a chit fund scam, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday dared the Narendra Modi government to arrest her and her party MPs and legislators in the wake of the CBI arresting party MP Tapas Paul in the Rose Valley chit fund scam.

Paul was on Friday arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the chit fund scam.

"I don't care if they arrest all my MPs. Let them arrest me. At least I will get some time-off. I could write a book in my free time. I will not be surprised if they arrest all our MPs. Arrest all my MPs. How many MLAs will you arrest? You do need to summon us. We are ready to present ourselves," Banerjee said.

"BJP is connected to Pearl group chit fund scam worth Rs 50000 crore. (BJP leaders) Babul Supriyo and Rupa Ganguly also were associated with Rose Valley," she claimed, likening the situation to the "terror of pre-Independence era."

The Trinamool Congress supremo said Paul's arrest reeks of political vendetta as the party is protesting against the Centre over demonetisation.

"If an actor does a programme on a channel, how can he be blamed? Who has given them permission to run the channel? Since Trinamool is protesting notebandi you have to arrest them.

"Amitabh Bacchhan is promoting Gujarat. Shah Rukh Khan is Bengal's brand ambassador. Many filmstars and cricketers promoted Sahara. Was Centre sleeping? What was it doing," she posed.

--IANS

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