Mamata has discredited CM's chair: CPI-M

Targeting the top Trinamool Congress leadership in the Saradha chit fund scam, the CPI-M Friday accused Mamata Banerjee of having "discredited" the chair of West Bengal chief minister.

"Never before has the name of any chief minister of our state cropped up in a graft which involves duping poor people of their money. She can't shake this off. The scam hasn't spared our football, our film world. She has discredited the chair of the chief minister," Communist Party of India-Marsixt state secretariat member Sujon Chakraborty told media persons here.

Chakraborty said not only the opposition, even estwhile close associates of Banerjee like suspended Trinamool MP Kunal Ghosh - arrested in the multi crore rupee scam - have raised their finger at Banerjee.

The CPI-M leader asked Banerjee to furnish details of her family's property. "You must provide the accounts. It will show whether your family's property has increased after the Trinamool came to power in the state."

Chakraborty also charged the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state police, which probed the scam for a year before the Supreme Court handed over the case to the Central Bureau of investigation, of having done a "cover up" and destroyed important papers.

"Those in the SIT who indulged in all these are culprits. They must be brought to book."

He alleged that the state police have jailed investors by slapping false cases when they went to police stations to lodge complaints of being duped by chit funds.

Demanding return of the money to the invested who have lost their savings by investing in the chit fund schemes of Saradha Group, he demanded that "ministers and leaders who are partners in the crime must be sent to jail".

Asked whether the CPI-M would maintain the same stance if any of its leaders were booked in the scandal, Chakraborty said: "If they call us, we will go and provide information."

CPI-M central committee member Shyamal Chakraborty, who also addressed the media, said: "The SIT of the state police probed the case for one year. Would they have spared any Left leader if he was involved? We tell the CBI, if anybody is involved, they should take steps. We won't say the CBI is politically motivated."

Sujon Chakraborty said lot of information is tumbling out after the CBI took over the probe and started questioning Trinamool leaders and MPs. "It seems they have been unable to explain their actions. Now it is clear big people are involved."