Buddha, Mamata trade barbs over Saradha

TARAKESWAR/ HOWRAH: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her predecessor Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee traded Saradha barbs on Friday with Mamata questioning the source of CPM funds and Bhattacharjee's jibe at her reluctance for a CBI probe. Saradha has eclipsed everything else as Bengal's biggest poll issue this time.

Attacking Bhattacharjee directly while questioning the source of "thousands of crores that entered CPM coffers" during its regime, the chief minister alleged: "It was during your tenure in 2006. Shall I take names? As if you know nothing! The mother of thieves speaks in the loudest voice and empty vessels make more noise. From where did thousands of crores of rupees come into CPM coffers?" She was speaking at an election meeting in Hooghly.

Bhattacharjee rubbished the charge and counter-attacked Mamata at a meet-the-press programme at Kolkata Press Club. "A laughable argument is being put forth that we are responsible for the scam because the chit fund came into existence during the Left Front regime. So what if they started operating during our regime? Does that make us culprits? A lot of things started during the Left regime and lot of things ended too," he said.

The former chief minister added: "Everything will become clear if she (Mamata) agrees to a CBI inquiry today ... who took the money. We have nothing to hide. Those who have something to hide are giving these excuses."

Mamata, however, kept up her tirade. "With whose bank account did the finance minister of the Left Front government run his election campaign?" she demanded. "See who has committed the theft and who is being blamed for it? ... You will only see stars if you try to find fault with the Trinamool Congress," she said.

Alleging that a vilification campaign was on against the Trinamool government, she said her party had not done anything against the Left parties as she did not want revenge. "Had we been in the opposition, what kind of torture would you have put us through," she asked.

Mamata said it was her government that took action by arresting the scam accused, formed a judicial commission and returned money to the cheated investors. Without referring to the opposition demand for a CBI probe, Mamata said justice was yet to be delivered in the CBI probes into the Jnaneswari Express railway disaster that claimed over 100 lives in 2010 and in the Nandigram police firing in 2007.

She also singled out P Chidambaram for the attacks. "Why was Chidambaram silent when Rs 45,000 crore was raised by a chit fund from Connaught Place? Why is there such a hue and cry over Rs 2,500 crore now?" she said.