Kunal Ghosh (Press Trust of India)
In more Saradha heat for Mamata Banerjee, Kunal Ghosh, a lawmaker she had suspended from her Trinamool Congress, has again hit out at the West Bengal chief minister, challenging her to set up an internal enquiry into the chit fund scam.
"The leader who resigned on the issue of Tehelka, on the issue of honesty. If there is one per cent honesty, courage and cleanliness, let them first set up an enquiry committee in the party on chit funds. If they don't do it, it will then prove that she or they are hiding from workers, hiding from people," said Mr Ghosh on Monday.
Mr Ghosh is one of the main accused in the multi-crore scam and was arrested last year as was Sudipta Sen, the promoter of Saradha and the alleged kingpin of the scam. Mukul Roy is a Trinamool MP and a close Mamata Banerjee aide.
Three days ago, Mr Ghosh claimed that Ms Banerjee was the biggest beneficiary of the Saradha Group's media operations, which he ran. He sought that he be taken into CBI custody and interrogated along with Sen, and the Chief Minister.
The dramatic charge, shouted out as he was being taken for questioning to the CBI office, made headlines and provided visiting BJP president Amit Shah with context to attack Ms Banerjee. Mr Shah alleged at a Kolkata rally that Ms Banerjee's associates were involved in the scam and said, "No good can come of the politics of tushtikaran (placating). If you can't manage, please step down. BJP will provide good governance to Bengal."
With municipal elections due soon, the Trinamool yesterday fielded party MP and Mamata's nephew Abhishek to defend her. He said at a rally that Ms Banerjee would support as "unbiased investigation" into the Saradha scam.
The Saradha group closed shop across Bengal last year, unable to pay back depositors -- mainly poor people in small towns and villages -- who had parked their life's savings with the companies, lured by the promise of huge returns.