SC order halted 'anarchist' Mamata's histrionics: Smriti Irani

Union Minister Smriti Irani on Tuesday said "anarchist Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's political histrionics" were brought to a screeching halt by the Supreme Court order asking Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar to appear before the CBI and co-operate in the probe into the Saradha chit fund scam.

The Union Textiles Minister asserted that "20 lakh poor victims" of the chit fund scam, apart from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), convey their gratitude to the Supreme Court which has ensured that a free and fair investigation takes place in the case.

"A grateful nation watched as the Supreme Court directed Commissioner of Police Rajeevji to present himself and faithfully cooperate with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

"One also needs to look at the aspect that Rajeevji was directed to appear before the CBI at a neutral place, Shillong, thereby certifying that at present, lawlessness prevails in Bengal," Irani told the media here.

She said that instead of celebrating the Supreme Court's judgement as a moral victory, Mamata Banerjee should introspect over the matter and be concerned about it.

"To celebrate it as a moral victory is a dichotomy that is there in Mamata Banerjee brand of politics. I think the Supreme Court directing the Commissioner of Police to be present in Shillong itself indicates that they do not expect fairness in West Bengal. As an elected Chief Minister, it should be a matter for her to introspect about...not to celebrate," she said.

When asked about Mamata's refusal to let BJP politicians hold programmes and rallies in West Bengal, Irani said: "Didi doesn't understand but by stopping the BJP and political leaders of other parties, she is actually hindering the democratic process.

"This is not first time that Mamataji has misused her administrative machinery to stop BJP rallies. She has already been an obstruction to Amit Shah's programmes, she has tried to stop Yogiji's rallies, even in Shivrajji's rallies she had been an obstruction.

"Because of this, more and more people are connecting with BJP's ideologies and this can be seen in Prime Minister Modi's rallies. So no matter how much Didi stops, West Bengal's citizens are accepting and supporting BJP's ideologies more than ever now," she said.

--IANS

sd/nir