CM targets Centre, CBI - Party leaders fear ‘damage’ in Mamata action refusal

Calcutta, May 4: Mamata Banerjee today trained her guns on the Centre and the CBI, the criticism and insinuations coinciding with the prospect of a probe by the central agency into the Saradha default. “Threats are not going to work on me. The CBI has to be called in since we did not allow FDI in retail, since we pulled out of the UPA-II government,” Mamata said at a Trinamul rally in North 24-Parganas’ Panihati, hinting that her government could be targeted because of certain decisions she had taken. Although the chief minister started her speech by launching an attack on the CPM, she shifted focus mid-way. “UPA-III is not going to happen. I will tell the people to overthrow the government at the Centre,” she said. Referring to the Supreme Court’s message to the CBI last month that the agency should be “independent and unbiased” and that it should not “take any instruction from the political master”, Mamata said: “Look what the Supreme Court has said about the neutrality of the CBI.” Petitions have been filed in the Calcutta and Assam high courts demanding a CBI probe into the Saradha default. Trinamul insiders said a CBI probe could compound Mamata’s “problems” as several Trinamul leaders have had links with Saradha. A Trinamul minister said: “We have seen how the Centre manipulates the CBI to browbeat allies and opponents. Mamatadi today highlighted this at the rally so that her supporters can tell people how the Centre could use the CBI against our government.” He, however, refused comment when asked why Mamata used to frequently demand CBI probes when she was in the Opposition. Today’s rally was at the same venue where former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee addressed a meeting six days ago. Bhattacharjee and CPM leader Gautam Deb had attacked Trinamul for its “association” with sham firms. In her retaliatory public meetings, Mamata has blamed the previous Left Front government and the Centre for the mushrooming of deposit-mobilising companies. Today, Mamata repeated what she said at a closed-door meeting of Trinamul’s general council yesterday, comments that were seen as a virtual clean chit to party colleagues with proximity to the Saradha Group. “Mamata chor, Trinamul Congress chor, bhaipo chor, gushti chor…. Aar tumi sadhu (Mamata is a thief, Trinamul Congress, nephew and family members — everyone is a thief…. And you are a saint),” she said at the rally in response to criticism of her party leaders and questions raised by Deb on the operations of her nephew’s company. A section in the party felt that Mamata’s refusal to act against leaders said to have had links with sham companies could further damage the party. “The growing perception is that she is trying to defend the leaders whose names have cropped up in the crisis. If a CBI probe confirms their involvement, the damage cannot be undone by alleging injustice by the Centre,” a minister said. Deepa quit call Congress minister Deepa Das Munshi today demanded the chief minister’s resignation for her “failure to tackle” the default crisis.