Saradha scam: Mamata should agree to CBI inquiry, says Gadkari

Senior BJP leader also said that regional and state parties did not have any place in national politics

Senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari today said that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee should agree to a CBI probe into the multi-crore Saradha scam for credibility.

"Other states have agreed for a CBI probe into the Saradha scam. So, the West Bengal government should also agree in the interest of the people of the state and also for its credibility," Gadkari told reporters here.

Gadkari also said that regional and state parties did not have any place in national politics.

"At the Centre, it is either the BJP-led NDA or the Congress-led UPA. Whichever regional party comes, they will not be able to form the government," he said.

Asked whether NDA would welcome the Trinamool Congress post poll, Gadkari said, "It is certain that NDA will come to power on its own and there will be no need for seeking support from any regional party.

"Having said that, NDA will like to expand and anybody is welcome to join us," he said.

Claiming that Congress would suffer its biggest defeat because of corrupt governance and wrong economic policies, the former BJP president said that NDA would be able to secure majority on its own with Narendra Modi becoming the Prime Minister.

Lashing out at Congress' secular credentials, he said that Afzal Guru, who attacked Parliament during Atal Bihari Vajpayee's tenure as Prime Minister, was given "extra life" by the party by not implementing the Supreme Court death sentence.

"Congress did this for vote bank politics... In Congress, secularism and terrorism are synonymous," he alleged.

"It is unfortunate that some parties are perpetrating a smear campaign against Modi doubting his secularism. When Modi comes to power, everybody will be treated alike irrespective of religion, caste or creed," he said.