Chidambaram has nothing to hide in Saradha scam: Sharma

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma. (IE Photo: Renuka Puri)

A day after BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi said that both Union Finance Minister P Chidamabram and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had something to hide in the Saradha chit fund scam, the Congress came out latter’s defence and alleged that Trinamool Congress leaders were involved in the scandal and they would be investigated and punished as per the law.
“When it comes to ponzi schemes, the Government of India has taken firm action. SEBI has been given more teeth and that is why Sahara Group chief is behind prison cells,” said Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma here. He termed “ridiculous” the allegations that Chidambaram’s wife nalini Chidambaram was involved in the Saradha scam.

“In Saradha and other chit fund schemes, people who held big positions in Trinamool Congress would be investigated and punished under law,” Sharma said, adding that Mamata was protecting people who had cheated and looted poor people. He was responding to Trinamool Congress’s claim that the Enforcement Directorate had been unleashed by the Congress to probe the Saradha scam to corner the ruling party in Bengal.

On Modi’s statement that both Chidamabram and Mamata had something to hide, Sharma said,”Narendra Modi has a habit of making such statements. As far as I know, I give credit to P Chidambaram for taking steps to give SEBI deterrent powers to investigate such scams.”

Mocking at Modi’s criticism of Mamata over the Saradha scam, Sharma said, “I think both Mamata and Modi should come clean if any back-door negotiation is going on between them on any post-poll arrangement.”