Mamata, Buddhadeb spar over Saradha scam

Tarakeswar/Kolkata (WB), April 25: Mamata Banerjee and Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today sparred over the Saradha chit fund scam with the Chief Minister seeking to question the source of CPI(M) funds and her predecessor demanding a CBI probe ino the scam that defrauded lakhs.

Hitting out at Bhattacharjee for the Saradha Group setting up business during his regime, the Chief Minister said, "It was during your tenure in 2006. Shall I tell the names? As if you know nothing?

"The mother of thieves speaks in the loudest voice and empty vessels sound much. Where did thousands of crores of rupees come into CPI(M)'s coffers?" she asked.

"With whose bank account did the finance minister of the Left Front government run his election campaign?" the Trinamool Congress chief asked at an election meeting in Hooghly district.

"See who has committed the theft and who is being blamed for it? ...You will only see stars if try to find fault with the Trinamool Congress," Banerjee said.

Without referring to the opposition demand for a probe by the CBI, she said it was her government which took action by arresting the accused of the scam, formed a judicial commission and returned money to the defrauded investors.

Denying the Chief Minister's allegations, Bhattacharjee told a meet the press in Kolkata, "Everything will become clear if she agrees to a CBI enquiry today... who took the money?

"We have nothing to hide. Those who have something to hide are giving these excuses," he said. "So what if Saradha started operation during our time? Does that make us culprits? A lot of things started during the Left regime and lot of things ended too," Bhattacharjee said.

PTI