CBI probe in Saradha scam is politics: Trinamool Congress

Kolkata, Aug 16: West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) Saturday dubbed the ongoing CBI probe into the multi-crore rupee Saradha chit fund scam as "politics", attracting criticism from political rivals.

"What is happening now is politics, earlier it was an endeavour to return the money to the investors," said Trinamool leader and state Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim when asked to comment about the CBI probe.

Led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the TMC vehemently opposed the intervention of the Central Bureau of Investigation before the Supreme Court in May directed the agency to takeover the investigation from the state police.

Hakim's comments have drawn criticism from the Congress, the BJP and the CPI-M.

"If it is politics, then this is the kind of politics which the people of Bengal want. Why is the Trinamool so averse to the CBI if they don't have anything to hide," asked Congress leader Abdul Mannan.

Echoing a similar view Communist Party of India- Marxist leader Sujon Chakraborty too asked if the Mamata Banerjee-led party had something to hide from the central agency.

"It's not CBI, it's them (Trinamool) who are doing politics. If they are so aggrieved by the CBI's unbiased probe, then they should move the Supreme Court. Such things prove Trinamool's complicity in the scam, so they are afraid of the truth coming out," Bharatiya Janata Party leader Shamik Bhattacharya said.

The CBI this week raided the residence of a TMC leader and former Director General of armed police Rajat Mazumdar, who was once an employee of the Saradha group.

State textile minister Shyamapada Mukherjee has been summoned by another central agency Enforcement Directorate (ED) which also probing the Saradha scam.

IANS