Congress dubs Mamata 'head of syndicate', Trinamool retorts

Kolkata: Dubbing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as the head of "syndicate", the Congress on Sunday said that was the prime reason she could not take action against party leaders and MPs accused of indulging in corruption.

The Trinamool Congress hit back, wondering whether the words of Congress leaders carry any weight after they have sold their flags to those (read the CPI-M) who accused then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi of accepting kickbacks in the Bofors gun deal.

Addressing the media, Congress spokesman Anand Sharma said the multi-crore-rupee Saradha chit fund scam was a reality, and a minister belonging to the Trinamool has landed in jail.

Refering to the purported sting operation by the Narada News portal, Sharma said: "Their MPs have been seen... They have been caught on camera. "But Mamata has taken no action against that. That's because she is the head of the syndicate. How can she then take action against her corrupt ministers and members of parliament?" he asked.

Sharma also dismissed as a "joke" and an "insult to the people" the Trinamool Congress's announcement that it would hold an internal inquiry on the Narada sting issue. "The offer of having an internal probe is an insult to the wisdom of the voters of Bengal. It is a joke perpetrated on the people."

He also rejected the Trinamool's assertion that the probe will also look into the role of people like senior Congress leader Ahmad Patel. "It is an accusation. It is without any substance. And I reject it with contempt that it deserves. They are in the dock. They have been caught on the camera," Sharma said.

Trinamool secretary general Partha Chatterjee said: "The so-called syndicate head Mamata Banerjee lives in a 6-feet by 6-feet room. What is the use of saying all these?" He ridiculed the Congress for forging an alliance with the CPI-M led Left Front.

"They have sold their (Congress) flag to those who accused Rajiv Gandhi of having accepted kickbacks from Bofors. They have formed an alliance with those who called Indira Gandhi a witch. Do their words carry any weight?" Chatterjee wondered.