BJP strikes back at Trinamool Congress, wants to discuss Saradha scam in Lok Sabha

NEW DELHI: In what could add a new chapter to the ongoing BJP versus Trinamool Congress battle for political space in West Bengal, BJP MP from the state S S Ahluwalia on Monday has given notice for a discussion on the Saradha scam in the state and other chit fund scams across the country. The move is being is being seen as one meant to hit at Mamata Banerjee, with TMC party MPs having taken the lead in playing the role of a disruptive opposition in Parliament for the last two weeks.

S S Ahluwalia, former Union minister and an MP from Darjeeling in Bengal, said he has given the notice to have the discussion under rule 193 which does not entail voting.

TMC is locked in a turf war with BJP in the state where the saffron party is trying to make political capital of the arrest and alleged involvement of several TMC leaders in the Saradha chit fund scam in an effort to target the ruling party in the state. The two parties have been frequently at loggerheads, especially since the recent rally of BJP president Amit Shah in Kolkata, which the TMC government had earlier attempted to ban.

In fact, Monday also witnessed a spat between Trinamool members and a minister and some BJP members in Lok Sabha, provoking a reprimand from the Chair who asked them to focus on "serious" business rather than personal grievances.

Trouble started when Kalyan Banerjee (TMC) was speaking on the Repealing and Amendment (Second) Bill. He was interrupted by MoS parliamentary affairs Rajiv Pratap Rudy, who asked him to address the Chair while speaking.

An angered Banerjee said, since cabinet minister for parliamentary affairs (Venkaiah Naidu) was not present in the House, ministers like Rudy were disrupting the functioning of the House.

A spat ensued, with Ahluwalia joining in. Upset over this, deputy Speaker M Thambidurai said, "we are seriously discussing the amendment bill. You may have grievance, but arguing like this is not good on part of both the members... I cannot let both of you to argue like this". Thambidurai also expunged from records various unparliamentary remarks made by members. "I am very sorry for what is going on in the House. It is not correct," he said.

As members continued with their arguments, an agitated Thambidurai said: "This is Parliament, not West Bengal assembly. All of you please take your seats".

Rudy then took a dig at Banerjee, saying "this is the first time that he has the taste of his own pill because this is exactly what he has been doing in the House all through these days."

Explaining why he was telling Banerjee to address the Chair and "correct" him, the minister said the Trinamool member "should learn through times how to perform in the House".