CPM, Cong slam TMC for ‘shielding scam culprits’
Roy was not alone in sharing the view that the state government has all along shown a “veiled patronisation towards the chit fund owners".
Taking a dig at the proposed Rajya Sabha members nominated by the Trinamool Congress on Sunday, senior Congress leader Nirbed Roy today criticized the selection of industrialist K D Singh, alleging he was directly involved in the chit fund scam.
“If (Saradha Group chairman) Sudipta Sen hadn’t been caught in the scam, one can safely assume he would have got the (Rajya Sabha) ticket as well. Such is the state’s indebtedness to K D Singh that he would be made to resign as sitting MP of Jharkhand even before the end of his tenure and made an MP here (Kolkata). So while we see people involved in the scam going scot-free, those like Justice (retd) Asok Ganguly were being forced to resign from their post (of chairman, West Bengal Human Rights Commission),” Roy said at a meeting convened by former Naxalite leader Ashim Chattopadhyay, who is also the convener of Chit fund Sufferers’ Unity Forum.
Significantly, Roy was not alone in sharing the view that the state government has all along shown a “veiled patronisation towards the chit fund owners”. Senior CPM leader Rabin Deb, who shared the stage with Chattopadhyay and Roy, said “it is sad to see that a person directly involved with a chit fund company is getting such favours from the government”. “He (Ganguly) was forced to resign before a trial but the people that Sudipta had named in the scam were not even called for interrogation.”
Chattopadhyay said: “We had questioned Justice Shyamal Sen as to why only people who had invested in Saradha Group were being compensated. What about those who had put their money in the other 173 chit fund companies currently operating in the state? He had replied that those people should put in fresh applications after which he would consider issuing a fresh notice.” He added that the forum would help these investors write to Justice Sen to get their problems addressed, and also demand a CBI inquiry under the supervision of the Supreme Court.
The forum has decided to hold a meeting on January 22 at the Netaji Subhas Institute where “people across all political parties, including Somnath Chatterjee, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Somen Mitra, Siddiqullah Chowdhury and even senior leaders from CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc, are expected to arrive.
“We had also invited justice (retd) Ganguly but he would not be able to attend the meeting owing to some prior engagement. But he will send a written message to be read out at the event,” Chattopadhyay informed.
Joining the chorus was educationist Sunanda Sanyal who said the state’s intention to find a solution to the chit fund sufferers was “doubtful”.
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