Sack Narada-tainted ministers, Bengal Opposition tells Mamata

Kolkata March 17 (IANS) West Bengal s opposition parties on Friday welcomed the Calcutta High Court order for a CBI probe into the Narada sting footage case and demanded that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sack the accused ministers.

They also demanded suspension of the MPs and legislators seen taking money in the videos.

I welcome the Calcutta High Court verdict. Chief Minister should show due respect to the high court and sack all the accused ministers from the ministry. She should also suspend from her party Trinamool Congress all lawmakers seen taking money in the Narada footage Leader of the Opposition Abdul Mannan said.

Iterating that the people of the country wanted the state government to cooperate with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Mannan said: It is not possible to hold an impartial probe unless the accused step down as they are all influential people.

Mannan a veteran Congress leader also wondered whether the honest and dedicated Trinamool leaders would hold rallies and meetings in support of the accused.

While welcoming the high court verdict Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) state Secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra said: The nexus between the Trinamool and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should not be am impediment in conducting a proper inquiry .

CPI-M politburo member Md. Salim said the verdict was a big blow to the shameless Trinamool leaders seen in the videos.

Salim however expressed concern that the support given by the Trinamool Congress MLA in forming the BJP government in Manipur might compel Prime Minister Narendra Modi to go soft on the probe.

TMC support to form Manipur BJP government may compel Modi Bhai to go soft on Didibhai with Advani already hushing up Narada said Salim referring to the Rajya Sabha Ethics Committee headed by the BJP leader L.K. Advani.

Mishra alleged that the committee which was asked to look into the Narada scam did not meet even once in 10 months.

BJP national Secretary Rahul Sinha said the way the court had made damning comments about the state government s misuse of official machinery to scuttle the Narada case was a pointer to the fact that the Trinamool was steeped in corruption.

The entire government is corrupt. The Chief Minister who always tries to project herself as a symbol of honesty should show her commitment to the public by arresting all the accused ministers and other lawmakers and expelling them from the party even before the CBI starts its probe.

But whether she can do that is a billion-dollar question said Sinha a former state BJP President.

Targeting Mamata Banerjee he said: Wherever there is some whiff of corruption the link to Kalighat (place in south Kolkata where Banerjee resides) is always there. This verdict is a victory of the fight against corruption.

Sinha recalled that the BJP was the first political party to raise its voice against the scam.

This will be of advantage to the BJP. It is a step in ousting the Trinamool from power he added.

--IANS
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