Bengal: BJP cites CAG report, alleges 'mother of all scams' by TMC govt

New Delhi, Jan 31 (PTI) The BJP on Wednesday cited a CAG report to allege that "mother of all scams" to the tune of about Rs 2 lakh crore had taken place in Trinamool Congress-ruled West Bengal.

In a press conference, BJP West Bengal president Sukanta Majumdar accused the state government headed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of treating the public money like her own.

"Her government has tried to loot public money everywhere. The CAG report is a slap on her government's face and exposes it," Majumdar alleged.

In strong-worded remarks, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia alleged that the "mother of all scams" has been found out in West Bengal even though Banerjee speaks about "Maa, mati and manush".

He alleged that the Trinamool Congress president was a "chor" (thief) and the "kingpin of the corrupt".

"It is a battle of two ideologies," Bhatia said and claimed that all constituents of the INDIA bloc are part of an ideology that centred on corruption and family rule while the Modi government is dedicated to promoting honesty and ridding society of graft.

According to Bhatia and Majumdar, the report highlights that over 2.4 lakh utilisation certificates, required to be submitted for completed projects within a fixed time, were not done so by the state government. The total money involved is around Rs 1.95 lakh crore, they added.

Both the leaders alleged that Rs 3,400 crore was withdrawn from the exigency fund by Banerjee's government and one-third of the amount was for the utilisation by the home ministry which is headed by her. The government has not accounted for the money, they said.

"Was this money given to Rohingyas, her family members or for triggering riots," Bhatia asked.

Bhatia alleged that be it the Congress, AAP, RJD or the TMC, no one should believe they are above law. Several leaders who had this kind of an arrogance are behind bars, he added.

He said she has forgotten that the baton of law straightens up the worst of the corrupt. He hit out at the state government for a recent incident in which Enforcement Directorate officials were attacked by a violent mob close to a TMC leader whose house they had gone to raid as part of their probe in a corruption case. PTI