Our Correspondent /
Sting operation against TMC MPs continued to be a political slugfest with BJP demanding the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the issue, reminding her of Tehelka sting operation when she had left the NDA. In 2001, Ms. Banerjee had rocked the then Atal Bihari Vajpayee government by resigning as Railway Minister over NDA’s inaction against the then Samata Party leader and Union Minister George Fernandes after his name had figured in Tehelka sting.
Talking to media outside Parliament today, BJP leader and Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said it is a clear case of misuse of office by the TMC MPs and they must resign. He said without seeing whether the company is genuine or not the MPs were caught taking bribe for favouring a fictitious firm.
Another Union Minister Babul Supriyo said the sting operation is not shocking for West Bengal people as they know that the TMC MPs, MLAs and councilors are millionaires. He said the people will keep in mind such facts while voting in the ensuing assembly polls.
CPI(M) sniffs a scam of highest order in the episode of recent sting operation in which TMC MPs and Ministers were caught taking bribe for favoring a fictitious firm. Talking to reporters outside Parliament today, Party General Secretary Sitaram Yechury alleged that such money is being used for paid news in poll bound West Bengal. He demanded that the matter be referred to Ethics Committee of Rajya Sabha, as one of its members is also allegedly involved in it.
Mr. Yechury said this issue should also be sent to the Committee as MP and Industrialist Vijay Mallya’s case was referred. He alleged that it looks like a match-fixing between TMC and BJP in the matter, and questioned why Centre is silent on ordering a probe.
Meanwhile, TMC has questioned the timing of the release of the sting operation as it was done in 2014. Party leader Kalyan Banerjee termed it as manufactured. Mr. Banerjee said it is a political gimmick ahead of assembly elections. The sting operation by a news portal showed 11 TMC leaders allegedly accepting bribe.
