Kolkata: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that the case against 12 Trinamul Congress leaders by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Narada sting operation was a “political game”, even as the opposition parties lashed out against her and welcomed the CBI’s move.
“There is nothing to be worried about. It is a political game. Let the guilt be proved first. Does an FIR prove anyone guilty? We will deal with it politically,” Ms Banerjee said.
Trinamul secretary general Partha Chatterjee questioned the timing of the registration of the case.
He said, “Like it (CBI) will do its job, our party will discuss it also. There is no need to treat the FIR innocently. The present time has also raised a question among the people as to why the case is done now.”
On the inclusion of his name in the list of accused in the CBI case, Trinamul MLA and state transport minister Shubhendu Adhikari said, “The sting ahead of the Assembly Elections was not a corruption. It was a conspiracy.”
He claimed, “All know that the sting was conducted to oust the Trinamul from West Bengal. Still we won elections by a margin of over 30000 or 40000 or 80000. People are the last word in democracy. So the sting has been proven as a conspiracy. For the rest, there will be a legal battle. We have fought many such battles.”
State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said, “The CBI’s registration of a case was much expected. And it happened finally. Earlier the court’s order was very much positive. Everything is heading towards right direction. The CBI will do its job. We firmly believe that the justice will be delivered.”
State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury questioned why Ms Banerjee gave clean chit to her party leaders in the sting operation. He alleged, “After winning the Assembly polls the chief minister claimed that her party’s victory reflected there was no corruption in the sting case. What would she say now? The people of the entire state know it was a case of corruption. But our chief minister did not accept it then.”
