WB: CPI(M) Holds Rally Demanding Arrest of Scamsters
Subinoy Moulik
CPI(M) West Bengal state committee held a big protest near the Bidhannagar CGO Complex on October 5, demanding that the ED-CBI stop making a mockery of the investigation and arrest and punish the scam kingpins.
CPI(M) leaders went to the CGO complex and handed over to officers of the central agency the resolution passed by thousands of people at the gathering. Party state secretary Mohammad Salim warned that the fight would go on in the courtroom and also on the streets. If ED and CBI do not take effective steps to punish the corrupt, then people will take to the streets and fight for justice. Those who plundered the economy and caused harm to thousands of innocent people of the state, and those who are trying to shield them, will both have to face the ‘people's tribunal’ one day.
People from different areas of North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Kolkata, Nadia, Howrah, and Hooghly participated in the CGO Complex demonstration. Protests were also held in the districts on the same demands. At noon on this day, the main procession from Ultodanga's Hudco intersection came towards the CGO complex. On the other hand, another procession came from the opposite side of Laketown in front of the Salt Lake footbridge, while another procession came from the direction of Baisakhi. Salim, Central Committee members Rabin Deb, and Sujan Chakraborty, state secretariat members Anadi Sahu and Palash Das and other leaders led the procession from Ultodanga. The procession from Lake Town was led by Party Polit Bureau member Surya Mishra, SFI all India secretary Mayukh Biswas and district leaders of CPI (M). Leaders, including Party Polit Bureau member Ramachandra Dom, and state committee member Somnath Bhattacharya led the procession, which started from Baisakhi. The rallyists raised slogans against the inaction of central agencies, including the ED and CBI, in court-monitored enquiries.
The three sides of the makeshift stage were filled fully by the huge gathering. By then, news had reached everyone that the ED was raiding the houses of Trinamool leaders regarding the municipal recruitment scam. Mohammad Salim announced in the meeting that they had come to prod the central government agencies, namely ED- CBI, to take prompt and effective action. They have been running around helter-skelter all over the place in a seemingly pointless manner. This makes no sense. The culprits should be taken into custody and interrogated to recover the looted money. ED-CBI is being chastised by the court every other day for its inaction, said Salim. Later, CPI (M) leaders Srideep Bhattacharya, Palash Das, Kallol Majumder, Sumit Dey, Debabrata Ghosh and Mrinal Chakraborty took the resolution to the CGO complex from the rally. Senior CPI (M) leader Biman Basu was also present at the rally.
PARTNERS IN SCAM
Presiding over the meeting, Surya Kanta Mishra, said the government at the centre is not unaware of whatever is going on here. But they won't do anything. A commonality between the two governments is that both enjoy the patronage of crony capital. There are numerous allegations of corruption and maladministration against both. People know about the Pegasus software allegations against the Modi government. The charges of corruption regarding the purchase of Rafale aircraft from France and what happened a few days ago with Adani are also issues known to all. Here in Bengal, allegations of ill-gotten gains accumulated through scams have been levelled against the CM’s nephew and other bigwigs. But the investigation has reached a stalemate situation because the accused have the political blessings of the government at the centre.
Mishra said the attack on the media that we are witnessing now is creating a situation even worse than the throttling of dissent under the Emergency regime of 1975-1977. By mixing religion with State, government, and politics, this government is creating an environment of communal division and hatred. The government is running in the interests of crony capitalism in the country. Moreover, they are trying to cover everything with a veil of lies. Agencies are doing nothing for those who are lying, committing crimes and looting, but what we saw in Delhi is that the police are arresting those who are telling the truth because they are exposing royal lies. In the middle of this, we have come to this CGO office because we want to know: Why are you not catching the kingpins of various scams in our state? Why is your condition so deplorable that the court has to doubt your competence?
Besides Surya Mishra, the other speakers at the rally were Mohammad Salim, Ramchandra Dom, Sujan Chakraborty, Palash Das and Mrinal Chakraborty. All the speakers raised the same questions unequivocally: Why is ED-CBI sitting inactive despite Calcutta High Court’s directive? Why is Abhishek Banerjee, the nephew of the chief minister, being spared again and again?
The leaders also criticised the BJP for trying to shield Trinamool's crime record. Referring to the alleged illegal gold smuggling incident involving Abhishek Banerjee's wife at Kolkata airport some time ago, where she was allowed to go free under directives from the ‘top authority’, Surya Mishra said, is it really difficult to understand where the setting is? No crime in the state is happening without Modi's knowledge. It was with the help of the BJP that Trinamool got its electoral symbol. The biggest crime of Trinamool is that they brought BJP to the state.
Ramachandra Dom said a true probe may bring into light the fact that even the top leader of Trinamool is not above the scams. It is deplorable that even the court is upset with the way ED-CBI is investigating. Millions of cheated and deprived people of the state are being denied justice due to the collusion of the ruling parties at the centre and the state.
ARREST THE KINGPINS
Why is Abhishek Banerjee repeatedly being spared in the investigations, Salim asked and pointed out that Subhendu Adhikari who was once a Trinamool’s formidable leader, has now switched over to BJP after taking grafts and all. RSS sees a future BJP leader in Abhishek Banerjee and accordingly, it is protecting him. The central agency is unable to nab the nephew even after obtaining statements from those arrested in the corruption cases. But AAP MP Sanjay Singh was arrested in the excise case simply because a businessman had named him. In West Bengal, it is alleged that not a single bottle of liquor is sold without sending money to the nephew's house.
Palash Das said that the Calcutta High Court removed the ED officer from the investigations. But it is not a matter of incompetence of any individual officer; political masters have crippled it by ensuring that it will not even investigate the cases of corruption at senior levels of Trinamool without the nod from the political authorities. In the last nine years, 150 victims of the chit-fund scam committed suicide. Still, the guilty have not been punished. Instead, Kunal Ghosh, who went to jail once, is now a TV celebrity. So, we are saying the investigation should not be slowed down due to political settings. Does BJP give salaries to CBI- ED officers? Today’s rally at the CGO complex is to insist upon them to work according to the constitution without fear or favour.
The rally voiced its protest not only against giving concessions to the corrupt due to the arrangement between BJP and Trinamool but also against the Modi government's attack on the democratic voice. Surya Mishra said, “Godi” media is spreading communal hatred, instilling lies in people's minds, but the government is not saying anything against them. Rather, those journalists who are bravely speaking the truth are being harassed and arrested. The Indian government is also being criticised at the international level for curbing press freedom. Regarding the arrest of NewsClick's Prabir Purkayastha, Salim said that Prabir Purkayastha was also arrested during the Emergency when he was a student leader. Now it seems Emergency-2 prevails.
