Mamata says Narada order positive
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Court’s blow to her government for challenging the Calcutta high court’s order of a CBI probe in Narada sting operation in which several top Trinamul Congress leaders were caught accepting cash.
While leaving Nabanna, the state secretariat, in the evening Ms Banerjee told the media about the top court’s judgment, “It is a good verdict. It’s positive.” Her comments came after the Opposition parties slammed her decision to move the apex court against the high court’s order.
By welcoming the top court’s ruling herself, Ms Banerjee not only tried to douse the criticism of the Opposition, she also weighed an important aspect of the judgement: the one month time for the CBI’s preliminary enquiry for which the high court earlier set a deadline of 72 hours.
According to sources, Nabanna officials are of the opinion that the SC judgement has opened new avenues for the state government. Sources added that the one-month time is a breather for the government because the CBI would not be able to start any case as of now and the government would try to explore more legal steps during this period. Kolkata mayor and Trinamul minister Sovan Chatterjee who came under the scanner in Narada sting said that the law would take its own course.
The Left Front and the Congress also welcomed the Supreme Court order and demanded immediate resignation of the TMC leaders for their alleged involvement in the scam.
“We welcome the Supreme Court verdict upholding the Calcutta HC’s order of a CBI probe into the Narada sting case. The fight for the punishment of the culprits must continue,” CPI(M) state secretary Surya Kanta Mishra said.
Alleging an unholy nexus between the TMC and the BJP, Mishra wondered “why a single meeting of the Lok Sabha ethics committee was not convened in the last 11 months”. “We hope that the CBI would be able to work freely without any interference by the BJP.”
Leader of the Opposition Abdul Mannan criticised the state government and the TMC overr their “desperation to save the tainted leaders”.