Arun Jaitley on Tuesday attacked the Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee over the Saradha and Rose Valley chit fund scams.
Jaitley said, “Mamata Banerjee’s disproportionate over-reaction to the CBI wanting to interrogate the Kolkata Police Chief has flagged several issues for a public discourse. The most important being that a Kleptocrat’s Club now aspires to capture the reigns of India.”
Jaitley further said, “the West Bengal Chit Fund Fraud was unearthed in 2012-13 and its investigations were handed over to the CBI by the Supreme Court.”
“The CBI has interrogated and even arrested some people. Many have been granted bail. If a Police Officer is also required to be interrogated, how does it become a “super emergency”, “assault on Federalism”, or “destruction of Institutions”?” Jaitley said.
“Mamata did it to defocus from other opposition aspirants for the highest office and to project herself as the nucleus of India’s opposition. Her speeches attack Prime Minister Modi, but her strategy is aimed to defocus some of her other colleagues in the Opposition and hogging the centre stage,” Jaitley added.
Jaitley further said, when Mamata Banerjee decided to sit on a Dharna she received support of many opposition parties. Most of them, or their affiliates are today being investigated, prosecuted and in some cases have also been convicted for crimes of corruption.
Jaitley further added, Mamata Banerjee’s latest acrobatics are the best evidence of the kind of governance India’s opposition can provide. But more importantly those who have lent support to the West Bengal Dharna are those who are battling serious allegations of economic improprieties, criminal misconduct and even corruption.
Jaitley also mentioned about Federalism that it is not a slogan, it is a delicate balance of the Centre-State relationship. Our Constitutional framework clearly defines the sharing of functions between the Centre and the State. It does not permit an overlap. There are Central agencies and organizations which conduct legitimate investigation in States.
“The prevention of a Central investigating agency discharging a function given to it by the Supreme Court is a direct assault on Federalism,” Jaitley said.
