TMC MPs allege misuse of CBI in Saradha case

The party MPs walked out twice from the Lok Sabha, even as government said it was ready to discuss the issue

Belligerent Trinamool Congress members today made vain attempts to corner the government charging it with misusing CBI in the Saradha scam and walked out twice from the Lok Sabha, even as government said it was ready to discuss the issue.

When TMC leader Saugata Roy raised the issue during Zero Hour alleging that the investigating agency was being "politically manipulated by the BJP to weaken the West Bengal government", several ruling party members stood up in protest and Speaker Sumitra Mahajan asked another member to speak.

Mahajan, while allowing Roy to speak, had made it clear that he should not make any allegation.

However, Roy raised the issue and also accused the government of "various omissions and commissions and weakening the federal structure" by "withholding" funds for national rural employment guarantee programme.

Upset over not being allowed to continue, Roy and his party colleagues raised slogans and walked out in protest.

Roy earlier charged HRD Minister with "misleading" the House by stating that there was no official circular to direct schools to hold essay, elocution and other competitions on the Christmas Day.

He demanded that the Speaker should "ask the HRD Minister to correct her statement."

To this, Mahajan said she had asked for a "factual report" in this regard from the minister.

Trinamool Congress members again got into a verbal spat with Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Pratap Rudy when Leader of Congress Mallikarjun Kharge asked the government to make a statement on the hostage crisis in Sydney.

As Rudy rose to respond, TMC and Congress members sought a statement from the External Affairs Minister, to which the Minister shot back "who are you?" A heated exchange ensued, with some TMC and Congress members shouting back.