CBI files FIR against 13 TMC leaders in Narada case, Mamata cries foul

Footage showed TMC leaders accepting cash promising favours to a fictitious company

In what could be a major bother for the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a first information report (FIR) against Trinamool Congress leaders allegedly taped while taking a bribe. 

Thirteen members of parliament (MPs) and the state legislative assembly (MLAs) of the party who featured in the video footage taken by a news portal, Narada, have been named in the FIR and charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act and for conspiracy. Some are ministers in the Mamata cabinet.

The video footage, part of a sting operation done by the portal, showed the TMC leaders apparently accepting cash for extending favours to a fictitious company. 

“It is a political game. We will fight it politically,” the chief minister said, reacting to filing of the FIR.

The Supreme Court had given the CBI a month to complete the probe and file an FIR in the matter. Its ruling was based on a plea filed by TMC leaders Subhendu Adhikari and Saugata Roy for a probe to be monitored either by the apex court or by the high court here. 

The high court had given the CBI 72 hours to file a preliminary report and FIR if required. 

Banerjee had questioned how the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) state president could predict this verdict before it happened. She had linked it with the UP poll results which preceded the verdict. 

“I have full respect for the judiciary but the fact remains that the order is the same as what a BJP leader had anticipated. How can a BJP state party president declare that the CBI would investigate this case after the UP polls? This sting operation was first aired from the BJP party office,” she had said after the HC’s order.

However, neither the HC ruling nor its validation by the apex court appeared to have much of an impact on the recent bypoll results. The Trinamool Congress won handsomely by a margin of more than 42,000 votes in the Kanthi Dakshin assembly constituency. Though the real surprise was the BJP, which emerged second.  

Not surprisingly, Bengal featured prominently at the party's national executive meeting and Amit Shah has said, he would devote more time. The Narada case is sure to come handy.