PM compromised national security by encouraging Paytm, says Mamata Banerjee

Pointing out that the e-commerce company Alibaba, which owns a major stake in the Paytm, was blacklisted by the US government, Mamata accused the prime minister of “promoting” Paytm. “When the US has blacklisted it, why this company is being sponsored by our Prime Minister? What is the hidden agenda behind it?” she asked.

“Now, Alibaba and four aides are taking all the decisions. Even the finance minister does not know about it. He (Arun Jaitley) was not aware of the (demonetisation) decision. They (BJP) are bulldozing the people. They want to take the money of the poor and siphon it off to foreign countries,” she alleged. Mamata further alleged that all “internal information” was being leaked (through e-wallets) and demanded a probe into the matter. “It is a very big scam and should be thoroughly probed,” she said while accusing the Centre of creating an “ambience of terror”.

Claiming there was no cash in banks, Mamata said: “A person who has no credibility cannot lead a country like India. Why is Narendra Modi busy working for the branding of a company in China, which has been blacklisted by the US and other countries?” Demanding that the PM apologise and resign taking responsibility for his “failure” on demonetisation, Mamata dared the Centre to arrest all TMC MPs, charging the Modi government of pursuing “vendetta politics”.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi should immediately step down taking responsibility for his failure to give relief to the people even after 50 days of demonetisation,” she said. Furious over the arrest of party MP Tapas Paul for his alleged involvement in Rose Valley chit fund scam, Mamata said: “He (Modi) can arrest all of our MPs, I do not care. This is nothing but vendetta politics. We will continue with our protest (against note ban)… I came to know they (CBI) have arrested one of our MPs. It is only because of our protest against ‘notebandi’ that this is happening. This is nothing but vendetta politics.”

Claiming that she has “all the information” about the Centre’s next step, Mamata said, “I already have the list of my party leaders who will be summoned next (by the CBI).” Asked if TMC leader in Lok Sabha, Sudip Bandopadhyay, who too was summoned by CBI in the same case, would appear before it, the CM said: “He will definitely go. He will be proud to go. He has not done anything wrong.” “SEBI and RBI did not perform their duties by not acting against the chit fund companies. These companies are not under the jurisdiction of our state.

They (SEBI and RBI) have given them protection,” she alleged. Mamata wondered how could a person, well established in public life as an actor or a sportsperson, be arrested for accepting the hospitality of a company.