On a day when a TMC MP was arrested and state Textiles minister quizzed in Saradha scam, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today blamed the Centre and the erstwhile Left Front government for the multi- crore chit fund mess.
Wondering why the CBI, the SEBI and the BJP did not act earlier, Banerjee asserted, "Our government arrested the owner of the Saradha Group which was set up during the Left Front rule."
Addressing a party meeting here in Nadia district, she expressed surprise over why the SEBI slept over chit funds when they were in the business of collecting deposits.
The CBI today arrested Trinamool Congress MP Srinjoy Bose and also quizzed Textiles Minister Shyamapada Mukherjee in the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam.
"Why did the Centre not act earlier, and what was the CBI doing?" she questioned.
The Trinamool Congress Supremo accused the Left parties, which ruled West Bengal for 34 years, for allowing dubious chit fund companies to flourish since the 1980s.
"Several other chit fund companies have funded media houses and their events. Why is action not being taken against them? There should be a probe in this regard. Chit Fund law is under Central jurisdiction. We formed an inquiry commission and returned money to five lakh people. Congress was in power at the Centre. So was the BJP. Left Front was an ally in the UPA I," she pointed out.
Banerjee assured that she would render all assistance to the CBI, probing the scam, it will seek from us.
She said her government had already returned money to five lakh poor people out of 12 lakh who had invested in Saradha Group which went bust in April last year.
"We wanted to give money to the rest of the duped investors by seizing the properties of Saradha group. Now CBI, Enforcement Directorate and SEBI are doing this and they should now return the money (to the duped investors)," she said.
