No connection between terror and Saradha scam: Government to Lok Sabha

NEW DELHI: The government has told the Lok Sabha that investigations into the Saradha chit fund scam has not revealed any links with terrorists. The clarification, coming days after BJP president Amit Shah alleged that the chit fund money had links with those being probed for link with the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, was quickly tapped by the Trinamool Congress members to demand an apology from the BJP chief. In a reply to a question in the LS, MoS for Personnel Jitendra Singh said: “The investigation has so far not revealed any such transaction where money was routed to Bangladesh to fund terrorist activities.”

To a question on whether the government had sought details of the probe into the Saradha scam after reports indicated that a part of the money was routed to Bangladesh to fund terror activities, Singh said government had not sought details of the probe. To a supplementary question on whether the Saradha chief had admitted that he paid large sums to several people to influence the case in his favour, the minister said, “the matter is under investigation.” Soon after the reply, Trinamool Congress members trooped before the media to seek an apology from BJP chief Shah. “Amit Shah should apologise for making wild allegations. He should at least admit that there was not an iota of truth in his statement,” Trinamool MP Sudip Bandopadhyay said.

The CBI investigations and arrest of some TMC members has turned into a full-fledged political war between the Trinamool Congress and BJP.