Kolkata, March 29 (IANS) Virtually throwing a challenge to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday said she should seek a CBI inquiry into the Narada sting operation to let the truth come out "within 36 hours".
"Mamata-di, don't drag your feet. If you have the guts, if you feel your people are innocent, then you should immediately send in a request to the central government for a CBI inquiry into the Narada sting operation," Shah said at a media meet here.
"If Mamata-di places a request, within 36 hours we will ensure 'doodh ka doodh aur pani ka pani ho jai' (the truth comes out)," he added.
Rubbishing the charges by Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and the Congress of a "match fixing between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool to cover up the sting issue", Shah also defended the home ministry move for a forensic test of the footages of a sting operation, alleging that the then Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat indulged in horse-trading to save his government.
"There is no match fixing between the BJP and the TMC. All this Modi bhai-Didi bhai talks myth has been created by the opposition."
"In Uttarakhand, the governor had sent a CD of the sting along with a report to the union home ministry. But here if Mamata didi makes such a request, immediately a CBI probe will be initiated," said Shah.
Asked why wasn't the CBI taking suo-motu cognizance, Shah replied: "Are you not aware about the federal structure, or else, let Mamata say that you don't have to care about the federal structure and the send the CBI."
Reminding Trinamool Congress chief Banerjee that she had come to power promising to root out corruption, Shah said she should throw out all party leaders seen in the video footage released by Narada News.
"If she is true to her words, she should immediately expel all those leaders seen in the Narada sting footage," he said. "But I know she won't. Because for her continuing in power is more important than fighting corruption."
Earlier this month, the portal Narada News uploaded on its website video footage of what it claimed was a sting operation in which several top-notch Trinamool leaders, including former central ministers, incumbent state ministers and MPs, were seen allegedly accepting bribes in return for favouring a fictitious company.
Shah also ridiculed the communists and the media for questioning his party over the issue not being sent to the Rajya Sabha ethics committee.
"Communists are saying why was it not sent to the Rajya Sabha ethics committee. I am bewildered. What has happened to the Communists?"
"We have majority in the Lok Sabha. There we have immediately sent the matter to the ethics committee. The Congress and the communists are in a majority in the Rajya Sabha. Why didn't they try to send it to the ethics committee of the house?"
Shah said some "media friends" were asking the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders what steps it has taken over the scam. "What can the BJP do? Not even one leader belongs to the BJP, all are from Mamata-di's party. BJP cannot do anything here."
