Congress questions timing of arrests

Kolkata: Reiterating West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s allegation, All India Congress Committee general secretary CP Joshi on Wednesday questioned the timing of arrests of TMC MPs in a chit fund scam case. He said such move was meant to destabilise the unity of opposition parties which are protesting the Centre’s demonetisation decision.

“We are questioning the timing of arrests. For more than a year the CBI was silent, but all of a sudden it has become active. Ironically, all these are happening when the opposition is getting united on the issue of demonetisation. It is an attempt to weaken the unity of the opposition,” Mr Joshi said. However, it was senior Congress leader Abdul Mannan’s appeal, which prompted the Supreme Court to order a CBI probe into the chit fund scam. Asked to comment on it, Mr Joshi said, “The matter is sub-judice, so it will not be right for me to comment on the matter.”

Under pressure from the party’s high command, the state Congress also said demonetisation was a much bigger issue at present than the chit fund scam. “Today the Congress was the only major political party, which did not make a representation to governor KN Tripathi,” he said.

“The note ban concerned with 125 crore people. The opposition has united on this issue. But the chit fund is an issue concerned with two crore people. You need to prioritise,” Mr Mannan said.

Reacting to the attack by TMC leaders on the state headquarters of BJP, state Congress chief Adhir Chowdhury said, “I condemn the attack.”