WHIPLASH: Mamata must step in and stem the rot 

By ABHISHEK BHALLA

Published: | Updated:

It's high time the Trinamool Congress realises that lashing out at the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will not help and, with senior TMC leaders in CBI crosshairs in the Saradha chit fund scam, the Mamata Banerjee government needs some firefighting. 

Soon after the arrest of TMC Member of Parliament Srinjoy Bose in connection with the Saradha ponzi scheme case, party leaders who had nothing to say in defence of their MP chose to attack the CBI for being “politically manipulated” and “discredited.” 

For the CBI it’s a classic situation– damned if you do, damned if you don't. The party instead should introspect as this could just be the beginning of the noose tightening around the TMC and some of its bigger leaders could be next in line.

Suspended TMC MP Kunal Ghosh with Debjani Mukhopadhyay and Sudipto Sen of Saradha Chit Fund at a city court in Kolkata in connection with multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam

Suspended TMC MP Kunal Ghosh with Debjani Mukhopadhyay and Sudipto Sen of Saradha Chit Fund at a city court in Kolkata in connection with multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam

The arrest is not just a major embarrassment for the TMC but it’s a major blow to its leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s image who has claimed nobody from her party had taken money from chit-fund aided companies and slammed the media for portraying her party leaders as “thieves.” 

While her leaders Derek O’ Brien and Saugata Ghosh were pointing fingers at CBI, the Chief Minister blamed the Left Government and the Centre for the scam. 

Last year ex-TMC member Kunal Ghosh was arrested but no TMC leader was booked. The arrest of Bose and grilling of West Bengal Textile Minister Shyama Prasada Mukherjee does not augur well for the party as it could open the floodgates and the CBI probe reach Mamata’s doorstep.

Transport Minister Madan Mitra was called in for questioning by the CBI on Friday but he failed to turn up as he got admitted in hospital.

Instead of taking on those guilty within her party, Mamata, is playing the blame game, alleging the Centre is not acting against chit fund schemes in other states which they ought to since Chit Fund laws are under Central jurisdiction.