Have you heard about the 'Fair & Lovely scheme'? It's a scheme that guarantees fair complexion. Similarly, there's another much talked about scheme these days that guarantees “sanctity” and says “Join BJP and become pure”.
The Kolkata police and CM Mamata Banerjee got into a tussle with the CBI over the Saradha chit fund scam in West Bengal.
Referring to Mamata as an accused in the Saradha chit fund scam, BJP labelled her as 'corrupt'. However, BJP does not have concrete evidence to prove that the accused in the same scam and BJP leader Mukul Roy is “innocent”.
After leaving Congress and joining the BJP, there's someone else too who has been accused in the Saradha scam. Himanta Biswa Sarma – how did he get a clean chit? In such a case, people are bound to raise some questions.
CBI VS CBI And Then
CBI VS Mamata’s Police
After the success of CBI vs CBI, the CBI vs Mamata’s police show is running housefull. Being indifferent for four years, the Kolkata police suddenly decides to investigate the Kolkata Police Commissioner regarding the Saradha chit fund scam. The issue escalates, Mamata sits on a dharna and the CBI reaches the court.
BJP Silent Over Mukul Roy & Himanta Biswa?
This was about the CBI vs Mamata row. Now, the question arises that BJP declared Mamata “accused” without any court order on the scams that took place in Bengal.
How are then the other accused in the same scam – Mukul Roy and Himanta Biswa Sarma labelled “innocent” after they joined BJP?
Stories on TMC MP Kunal Ghosh and Mamata Banerjee’s close aid Madan Mitra’s arrest in the Saradha scam fuel BJP's interest. However, when other accused leaders join BJP, they are given a clean chit. So, someone who was once a villain is declared “innocent” today.
Mukul Roy’s Journey
Mukul Roy's story is quite interesting. He is one of the founders of Trinamool Congress and has been one of the strongest leaders of TMC after Mamata Banerjee. And it doesn't stop here. When TMC joined hands with UPA, Mamata Banerjee recommended Mukul Roy as the Railway Minister.
But in 2013, the revelations of the Saradha chit fund scam began to get exposed. The case reached the Supreme Court. In 2014, the Supreme Court handed the case over to CBI. CBI investigated Mukul Roy in January 2015 and declared him to be an accused.
But Mukul Roy’s sins were suppressed before the investigation took place. BJP’s ‘Na khayenge, na khaney denge’ policy made Roy a member of BJP on 3 November 2017. Mukul Roy got a certificate of 'Quality Control'. Today, CBI has not even for once investigated Mukul Roy and even if they did, it never made news.
Himanta Biswa Also Tagged ‘Innocent’
Now let’s talk about Himanta Biswa who was once a Congress leader. His name is also in the list of accused in the Saradha chit fund scam. During the investigation, Saradha Group President Sudipta Sen said the company was giving Rs 20 lakh per month to Himanta Biswa. CBI, for the first time, investigated him on 26 November 2014.
Before the Assam Assembly elections, Himanta left Congress on 28 August 2015 and joined BJP. This way, he washed away his sins by taking a dip in the Ganga river.
In this case, CBI did not file any charge sheet against Himanta nor has there been news about any investigation being done so far. For now, Himanta is a minister in the Assam government and also the main face of BJP’s Northeast politics.
There’s more, the Supreme Court had handed over the investigation to the CBI five years ago. But in these five years, neither a charge sheet has been filed nor has the CBI taken the case to court.
They say that leaving the BJP aside, no one else in the country is willing to cooperate with them. Now, in the election season, if the agencies only target BJP's opponents, questions will certainly arise in the country.
The story was originally published on Quint Hindi
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