Senior CPI(M) leader Mohammed Selim today alleged that West Bengal government's announcement of taking over two tv channels run by scam-tainted Saradha group, was a ploy to compel its employees to withdraw cases against its chairman Sudipta Sen.
"Journalist, non-journalist and other employees of Tara News and Tara Muzik, had filed an FIR with the police against Sudipta Sen in April for not paying their salaries for three months," Selim, a party central committee member, told reporters at the party office.
"The government's motive to take over the two channels is actually a ploy by the state government to force the employees to withdraw cases against Sen," Selim said.
He said that rules of the Information and Broadcasting ministry clearly held that no state government could broadcast or uplink a news channel.
"This rule is being violated by the state government," he said.
Alleging that the state government was not serious in dealing with the Saradha group chit fund scam, he said it had not filed a single case against Sen.
Selim said that the state government's attitude was partial as the Saradha group ran over a dozen media organisations and only two were taken over.
"These are crocodile tears before the panchayat election," the CPI(M) leader alleged.
