In the earlier sting, nearly a dozen Trinamool leaders, including members of Parliament and former ministers in the Bengal government, were seen accepting cash from reporters.
Highlights
- Two TMC leaders were caught on camera accepting money
- Derek O'Brien issued a statement terming the sting a "political vendetta
- In the earlier sting, around 10 TMC leaders were seen accepting cash
In what could further embarrass the Trinamool Congress ahead of Assembly elections, Narada News on Monday published two new video clips of its sting operation in which two prominent leaders of West Bengal's ruling party were purportedly caught on tape -- one of them accepting money, the other seeking a "benami" stake in a project.
The news
portal on March 14 had published the first video in which 10 Trinamool leaders were shown accepting bundles of cash in return for favours to a fictitious company and one of them asking for the cash to be deposited in his office. Of the 11, six resemble the party's MPs and five MLAs, including ministers.
In the latest videos, the website claimed Trinamool Congress' Lok Sabha member from Arambagh, Ms Aparupa Poddar, accepted money, while former party state general secretary Shanku Deb Panda sought a "benami stake" in the fictitious company in return for his help.
The authenticity of the videos could not be ascertained by NDTV.
Within an hour of the video footage becoming public, Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien issued a statement saying, "This is nothing but dirty political vendetta. This is the cheap politics of black money and blackmailing. This is the politics of political parties who already know they have lost the elections. . This is the politics of losers who will soon be clean bowled by the people. Trinamool is not afraid. Bengal is with Trinamool."
Meanwhile, CPM leader Surjya Kanta Mishra said, "the captain of this bribe-taking team need to be identified and brought to book. We urge the Election Commission to probe the matter."
Incidentally journalist-turned-politician Panda had carried out a sting operation in 2008 in which then CPI-M legislator from Nandigram Muhammad Illyas was seen accepting money.
Mr Panda has also been in the news for his grilling by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the multi-crore-rupee Saradha scam.
Mr Panda could could not be reached for comment. Ms Aparupa Poddar was quoted in some reports saying the person shown in the sting footage was not she.
Three Public Interest Litigations (PILs) filed at Calcutta High Court asking for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the scam, will be heard on Tuesday. One of the PILs filed by the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee has also made the Election Commission a party.
After the first sting became public,
Derek O'Brien had claimed the video was politically motivated and foreign funding from Dubai was involved.