CBI-Mamata spat: Yechury slams both TMC, BJP

New Delhi, Feb 05: CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said the Supreme Court order on Tuesday showed both the BJP and the TMC their place and that the two parties were hand in gloves in "sharing the spoils" of the chit fund scam.

Speaking to reporters, Yechury said he did not find anything wrong in the way the CBI had embarked on the investigations into the scam in Kolkata and pointed out that its actions could have been objectionable if the agency had proceeded suo motu.

"In this instance when the judiciary orders the CBI to investigate a case, the CBI's movement in the investigation into any state or territory cannot be construed as an attack on the authority or the powers of the state government. What is objectionable is when the CBI suo motu takes action and investigate without permission of the state government. That would be a violation. That is not the case here. So it is not a issue of Centre-state relation," he said.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar to make himself available before the CBI and "faithfully" cooperate with the agency in investigation of cases arising out of the Saradha chit fund scam probe.

The apex court said Kumar will appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for investigation at Shillong in Meghalaya. The apex court also said no coercive steps, including the arrest of the Kolkata Police chief, will take place during the course of investigation.

"Both corrupt parties, the TMC and the BJP get put in their place by the Supreme Court. Must investigate the top leadership of the TMC too, of loot. Several TMC MPs have already faced arrests and charge sheets. Why did the BJP wait for five years to investigate? To pull corrupt members into its own fold?" he said.

PTI