(MENAFN- Gulf Times) The Central Bureau of Investigation yesterday summoned Trinamool Congress general secretary and former railway minister Mukul Roy for questioning in connection with the multi-billion rupee Saradha chit fund scam.
The opposition termed the development a major "setback" for the Trinamool, while West Bengal's ruling party accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government of using the CBI as a "political tool."
Confirming that he has been called for questioning, Roy, who is in Delhi, said he would appear before the CBI after he returns to Kolkata.
"I have never been involved in any illegal or immoral activity. They (CBI) have called me but I am here. Once I return to Kolkata, I will meet them," the Rajya Sabha member said.
Trinamool spokesman and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien wondered if the investigating agency was being run by BJP president Amit Shah.
"The nasty ploy of using the CBI as a political tool by the BJP continues. They could not fight us politically in Bengal in the Lok Sabha elections. So now, these dirty tactics months before the corporation elections. We will fight them - strongly, politically," O'Brien said in a statement.
"This is blatant vindictiveness. The so-called summons has not yet reached and the BJP honchos are already giving bytes. Is the CBI being run by (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi's office or by Amit Shah at the BJP headquarters?" asked O'Brien.
"This is a deliberate bid to try and finish all regional parties and they are doing this against many states. The Trinamool functioned almost as the main opposition party in parliament. By doing this, the BJP hopes to silence us.
Four Trinamool leaders - including Rajya Sabha members Kunal Ghosh and Srinjoy Bose, and state Transport Minister Madan Mitra - have been arrested in connection with the scam.
While Ghosh was arrested by the Special Investigation Team of the state police which earlier handled the probe, the CBI rounded up the other three after it was handed over the probe by the Supreme Court last year.
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