Amit Shah: Seek CBI probe for bribe sting truth

Dares Mamata to throw out ‘tainted’ leaders.

Asserting that there was no “match-fixing” with the Trinamul Congress (TMC), BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday dared West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee to order a CBI probe into the Narada sting operation and throw the MPs, MLAs and leaders who were accused of allegedly accepting bribe on camera out of the party on “moral grounds”. The BJP president also alleged that the state police administration had messed with the Saradha investigation, making it difficult for the CBI to probe further.

“The entire world watched how TMC MPs, ministers and leaders took money in the Narada sting operation. The first thing Didi (Ms Banerjee) should have done on moral grounds was to throw those leaders out of the party for accepting money on camera. If Mamatadi is so confident that her party leaders are innocent then why she is not recommending a CBI inquiry into the Narada sting operation We assure you that the truth will come out within 36 hours,” Mr Shah said while speaking at a “Meet the Press” event at the Kolkata Press Club.

Responding to queries on whether the Central government was going soft on the Mamata Banerjee government on Narada sting operation, Mr Shah said, “Some media houses are asking why the BJP is not doing anything. What will the BJP do in it The leaders belong to the TMC. As we have a majority in the Lok Sabha, we have sent the matter to the ethics committee. The Congress and Communists have a majority in the Rajya Sabha. Why are they not sending it to the ethics committee ” Mr Shah asked.

When asked why the Central government was not taking initiatives to get the video footage of the sting operation, like it did in Uttarakhand, Mr Shah said, “It was the governor of Uttarakhand who had sent the CDs for investigation. Let the Mamata Banerjee government recommend a CBI inquiry for the same and the BJP’s response would be the same. But there is a federal structure and we have to remember that.”

The BJP chief also brushed aside allegations that the CBI had slowed down its investigation in the Saradha case in the last one year due to the arrangement between “Modibhai” and “Didibhai”. “Starting from Saradha to Burdwan blast to Narada, the Mamata Banerjee government had interfered to slow down the investigations. The SIT formed by the state government made a mess of the entire investigation which made it difficult for the CBI to probe further. The Modibhai-Didibhai perception is created by a section of the media and Communists to mislead the people. Let me make it clear that there will be no match-fixing between the BJP and the TMC,” Mr Shah explained.