From Our Special Correspondent
GUWAHATI: Opposition Congress in Assam has demanded the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to carry out a “neutral and thorough” probe into allegations against Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s involvement in the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam and Louis Berger bribery cases.
Addressing the media here on Monday, Congress spokesperson, Pradyut Bordoloi questioned the role of the CBI, asking, “When the investigation agency could be so active in the Saradha scam case in West Bengal, the recent instance being the attempt to raid a police commissioner’s residence, why is the investigation agency inactive or going slow in Assam now?”
Recalling the raids on Sarma’s residence and office of a media house owned by him, back in 2014, Bordoloi said there has been a marked difference in approach by the CBI in its probe into the chit fund case in Assam now.
Bordoloi said, “West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee has also alleged that Sarma, who is in BJP now, is involved in the scam. However, CBI has not shown any intention of actively taking up the probe against Sarma, who the investigation agency had probed when he was in Congress. The moment he joined BJP, the agency had gone slow on its probe, apparently trying to cover up the case here,” Bordoloi alleged.
The Congress leader further alleged that CBI was being “controlled like a puppet by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which is why it has gone soft on BJP-ruled Assam yet remained active in Trinamool Congress-ruled West Bengal.”
He further pointed out that a BJP parliamentary group had in 2015 distributed a booklet titled, “Reality and Saga of Scams in Congress-ruled States – Water Supply Scam in Goa and Guwahati” where the saffron party had alleged that Sarma (who was in Congress then) was involved in the Louis Berger bribery scam.
“CBI had taken action against former chief minister of Goa, Digambar Kamat in the Louis Berger bribery case, yet remaining passive in Assam after Sarma joined BJP. We know that Sarma is involved in both scams but since he is in BJP, everything he had done has been forgiven it seems,” Bordoloi said. The Congress leader demanded the CBI to carry out a thorough probe in both cases and take the guilty to task.
Meanwhile, members of the Opposition Congress staged a walkout during the budget session of Assam Assembly on Monday after Speaker, Hitendra Nath Goswami turned down Mariani MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi’s point of order raised over Sarma’s alleged involvement in the multi-crore Saradha scam.