Mamata Banerjee defends Narada accused, calls CBI ‘Gujju babus’ mice

This is the first time that Mamata has publicly defended accused party members since CBI booked FIR against them on April 17.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee (File|PTI)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee (File|PTI)

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee publicly defended the Narada sting accused, and asked them not to fear the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) , whom she called ‘mice of Gujju babus’ (Gujarati gentry).

Speaking at the organisational election at Netaji Indoor Stadium here on Friday, Mamata Banejee took potshots at the BJP accusing the saffron party of using CBI for vendetta politics. “The CBI has booked FIR against 13 persons. Why don’t you stand up?... Are you afraid of CBI? Don’t be afraid. The CBI won’t be able to prove anything,” she told the Trinamool Congress leaders.

“We have respect for the real CBI. But this is CBI of Gujju babus. They seem to be like mice," she added. Mamata also dared the agency to put her in jail. "Put us all in jail like Sudip Bandopadhyay. Remember if you put us in jail in Delhi, we will take our roots to Delhi, Punjab, Gujarat till Kerala,” she said.

This is the first time that Mamata has publicly defended accused party members since CBI booked FIR against them on April 17. At a presser later in the day, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said the FIR was booked by CBI and not BJP.

The all-out attack mode of Mamata Banerjee may be attributed to the fact that the name of her nephew and Trinamool Congress apparent heir Abhishek Banerjee has been mentioned in the FIR booked against the Narada sting accused.

It came to light on Friday that the Abhishek’s name was mentioned in at least three places in the FIR, where it is stated that Kolkata deputy mayor Iqbal Ahmed (Accused no. 4) had assured Santosh (name used by Narada TV CEO Matthew Samuel) to arrange for a meeting with Abhishek Banerjee.

The TMC apparent heir’s mention in the FIR gains importance with the CBI spreading its net by sending audio evidences of other possible accused for forensic test. The agency has visual evidence against only 13 accused leaders. However, it fears more people may be found guilty in the sting whose voices could be heard in the background.

Meanwhile, Matthew Samuel, who is in bedridden condition, has mailed Kolkata Police attaching medical certificates that suggest him to take bed rest for the next two months pleading that he would not be able to come down for interrogation due to his ill health.

Samuel was summoned for probing his role in an alleged extortion case of a former MP from Bihar. The extortion call was made from a Kolkata hotel and Kolkata Police claimed Samuel is involved in the case. However, the veteran journalist had earlier said he was being trapped in false case for conducting the sting.

Sources revealed that Samuel had undergone two surgeries in the last two months. He has been suffering from diabetes and nervous problems. The CBI had recently interrogated an ailing Samuel at the agency’s headquarters in Delhi.

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