TMC-Oppn trade barbs over Ponzi schemes

“The Congress, the BJP and the CPM have joined hands to hatch a conspiracy against us. Otherwise how will you explain the sudden proactive approach of ED on the eve of the elections. We see that the ED is being politically used by the Congress. It is unfortunate,” Partha Chatterjee, cabinet minister and TMC general secretary said at a media conference at Trinamool Congress Bhavan.

Meanwhile, the CPM demanded that Arpita Ghosh, party candidate from Balurghat should withdraw from the race as she has been named as one of the beneficiaries of Saradha Group. “Arpita was the executive editor of a TV channel owned by (Sardha Group chief) Sudipta Sen and the ED has sent a notice to her. In that case how can she remain a candidate of the ruling party? The chief minister is smelling conspiracy in everything but will she do this?,” asked Rabin Dev, CPM state secretariat member.

On the other hand Biman Bose, Left Front chairman, while reacting to the allegation of the Trinamool Congress that it was during  the Left Front era that ponzi schemes flourished, said, “I suggest there should be a CBI investigation into the mater and if any Left Front leader is found involved he or she should be sent to prison. But the same should happen with Trinamool Congress leaders also.”

Taking a dig at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for repeatedly alleging that a conspiracy has been hatched by the Opposition parties to eliminate her after the air conditioner caught fire in her hotel room in Malda, Bose asked why she spent another night in the same room. He alleged that during the first phase of polling in the state, miscreants tried to prevent voters from reaching at least 116 booths in the Cooch Behar constituency.

Criticising Mamata for delivering provocative speeches that is resulting on attacks on Left Front workers, Bose said: “She tells everybody to put leucoplast on their mouths. She should do the same to herself.”