Congress accuses TMC of interfering with working of CID in West Bengal

Senior Congress leader and MP, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury today questioned the TMC leadership for keeping mum on the Rafale deal and said there is no difference in the functioning of CBI and the CID in West Bengal under BJP and TMC regimes respectively. 

Chowdhury, who is the former West Bengal PCC president, questioned TMC's silence on the Rafale deal even as several opposition parties have spoken out against it. 

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi stepping up an offensive against the government for forcing the CBI director to go on leave had dubbed the action as "illegal" and a "panic reaction" to cover up Rafale deal evidence. 

"The functioning of CBI under the BJP regime at the Centre and the CID in the state under the TMC have no difference. Both the agencies are being used by the ruling parties respectively to serve their own political purposes," Chowdhury said. 

He said, "When opposition parties have spoken out against the Rafale scam, TMC has maintained a silence on this issue. Why are they (TMC) not speaking out against the scam? Why isn't TMC and its supremo Mamata Banerjee attacking BJP and CBI in the same language as other opposition parties and the Congress? What is stopping them from doing so? Is it the fear of Narada and Saradha scam investigation ?" Banerjee last week had alleged that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has become the BJP's policing agency. 

"CBI has now become so-called BBI (BJP Bureau of Investigation) - very unfortunate!" Banerjee had tweeted. Her remarks came amid the ongoing spat between two top officers of the agency. 

Asked about Banerjee's comment on CBI, Chowdhury said "Just one-liner won't do, they (TMC) have to clear their stand. The TMC leadership declined to give much importance to his comment and said the party "does not need any lessons from others".

(With inputs from agencies.)