Kolkata: The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, has been dragged into the Saradha chit fund scam.
Speaking at an election rally at Burdwan district in West Bengal, state sports minister Madan Mitra has challenged the Enforcement Directorate (ED) — the agency responsible for enforcing economic laws and fighting economic crime — to reveal the amount of money Mukherjee’s son and daughter has taken from the Saradha group.
The President’s son, Abhijit Mukherjee, is a Congress candidate from Jangipur in Murshidabad district.
Reserve bank governor
Mitra also questioned why the ED would not arrest former Reserve Bank governor who had approved the setting up of the company.
“I challenge the ED to declare how many millions of chit-fund money was taken by the son and daughter of the former Congress leader who now adorns the highest office of the land,” Mitra said.
Mitra himself is being accused by the opposition of having benefited from the scam as he endorsed the company and its owner Sudipta Sen, at various forums. He was also nominated as the union leader of the companies employees by Sen himself.
The Trinamool Congress has also accused union finance minister P. Chidambaram for using the ED for political gains. Party general secretary Mukul Roy went a step further to accuse the Congress party vice-president Rahul Gandhi of benefiting from the various scams that rocked the UPA 2 government.
“ED is being used by the finance ministry for political gains,” Mitra said.
