In an embarrassment for the BJP, the Narendra Modi government has contradicted party president Amit Shah on his claim that Saradha scam money was used for the Burdwan blast.
In a written statement in the Lok Sabha, Dr Jitendra Singh, MoS in PMO, said on Wednesday that the probe probe has far not found any link to suggest that Saradha scam money was routed to Bangladesh.
“So far, investigation into Saradha chit fund scam don’t show its money is routed to Bangladesh to fund terror activities,” Singh said.
The Minister was asked whether the government has sought details of the probe into the Saradha chit fund scam after reports indicated that a part of the money was routed to Bangladesh to fund terror activities. Singh replied that government has not sought details of the probe.
To another question on whether the Saradha chief has admitted that he paid large sums to several people to influence the case in his favour, the minister today said “the matter is under investigation.”
However, after the matter triggered a controversy, Singh issued a clarification, saying that no clean chit has been given to anybody.
“Nowhere a clean chit is given by anybody as the last sentence reads, matter still under investigation,” Singh said.
Last week, Amit Shah, while addressing a rally in Kolkata, had said that reports suggest that Saradha money was used for the Burdwan blasts.
Expectedly, the TMC has hit out at the BJP and demanded an apology from Amit Shah.
“He is dangabaaz…Amit Shah is a bogus person. He is famous criminal in Gujarat, he speaks lies,” said TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee.
He also accused the Trinamool Congress government of shielding the culprits of the multi-crore Saradha scam. He dared West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to declare those rounded up by the CBI in the case innocent.
Soon after Jitendra Singh’s statement, the TMC hit out at Shah saying he had lied that Saradha scam money was used to fund Burdwan blasts. The allegations by Shah also led to war of words between the two parties with the TMC protesting outside Parliament over Shah’s alleged links with the Sahara group.
In fact, Mamata Banerjee and her MPs have been on an offensive against the BJP ever since the Lok Sabha election results. She had on Tuesday urged the opposition parties to unite against the Narendra Modi government in Parliament.
