Saradha scam: Mamata targets Chidambaram over ED probe

With her party facing the heat in the midst of Lok Sabha elections in Bengal over the Saradha scam, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today accused Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram of prodding central agencies and targeting Trinamool Congress leaders.

Banerjee claimed that the name of Chidambaram's wife had also come up in the scam."Since election has come, you have sent the Enforcement Directorate, Chidambaram babu," Banerjee told an election meeting here.

"I have heard that your wife's name is there in the Saradha complaint. I have seen the FIR copy... Law will take its own course," the Chief Minister added.

Hit by allegations of links between her party's senior leaders and those responsible for the Saradha chit fund scam, Mamata took the attack to the Congress and the CPI(M) and accused them of failing in their responsibilities.

Without naming, she claimed that a Congress MP had written to the Centre seeking investigation into a chit fund company and as soon as the letter was sent, an inquiry was initiated.

"Then this man (owner of the chit fund company) went to meet him (the MP) and asked him to quote a price to withdraw the letter following which he was told Rs 10/15/20 crore. I can reveal the name. I have all documents," Banerjee said.

She alleged that Congress was trying to malign her government and the party would face a disaster in the election and would be voted out of power from the Centre.