Bengal Congress hits out at Mamata over inaction against Ponzi scam offenders

West Bengal Pradesh Congress President Somen Mitra on Wednesday demanded that a CBI probe into the Ponzi scam be accelerated and criticised Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for not taking action against the "culprits". Taking a swipe at Banerjee's "Save Constitution" dharna on Sunday evening after a team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials showed up at Kolkata Police Chief Rajeev Kumar's doorstep, Mitra said her sit-in cannot be compared with Mahatma Gandhi's satyagraha against the British rulers.

"The inquiry should be done by the CBI. Those who are the culprits should be arrested immediately. Around 20,000 depositors are suffering. Today we are forced to hit the roads because we saw people being exploited by the Bengal Chief Minister who is not taking any steps," Mitra said at a public rally here. "Mahatma Gandhi sat on satyagraha to prove the truth. But here I am seeing that you are sitting on satyagraha in order to prove the injustice right. The Chief Minister has sat on satyagraha, let her do it, we have no objection but do not compare her satyagraha with that of Mahatma Gandhi's," he said.

The veteran Congress leader also criticised top cop Rajeev Kumar for going to a "hideout" instead of cooperating with the CBI sleuths. "Why is he running away from the CBI? We run only when we have committed any crime. The CBI also called me. I told I will be present whenever they call me because I have a certain opinion about the agency," he said.

"He (Kumar) could have challenged the identity of the CBI officials. The reason is that there is some kind of guilt in his heart and didi (Banerjee) is trying to guard someone who is guilty" he added.

(With inputs from agencies.)