Mamata asked to clarify Trinamool leaders' role in terror group funding

BJP leader Siddharth Nath Singh Thursday asked West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to clarify the role of a Trinamool Congress MP and other state politicians in alleged money exchanges linked to Bangladeshi terror groups, ahead of her visit to the country.

"We want India to have good relations with Bangladesh and you want the same. We welcome that. Will you please explain if Pakistan shelters an Indian citizen who is involved in acts of terror.. will India have a good relation or hostile relation?" Singh told the media here.

Banerjee is scheduled to undertake a three-day visit to Dhaka from Feb 19 to 21 on an invitation by the Bangladesh government. Her visit comes at a time when speculations are rife that Saradha Group which went bust after the exposure of the chit fund scam, has funded Islamists in Bangladesh.

The Bharatiya Janata Party national secretary asked Banerjee, also the Trinamool supremo, to clarify her stance regarding the role of Bengal politicians in funding Bangladeshi terror outfits.

"You are going to Bangladesh. Will you be specific in replying this? Will you clarify this before you step into the soil of Bangladesh? What is the role of your TMC MP?

"What is the role of your Bengal politicians vis a vis money exchanging hands with the Bangladeshi terror groups? Will you explain, what is the relationship of your TMC MP with the Bangladesh terror groups?" said Singh who was referring to certain media reports.

"It has been written in newspapers that the money transferred was used to promote terror activities in Bangladesh? Is this not going to be an embarrassment, for which the national government is already embarrassed," he wondered.

The Central Bureau of Investigation, probing the Saradha scam, has arrested three Trinamool leaders - state minister Madan Mitra, Rajya Sabha member Srinjay Bose and party vice president Rajat Majumdar.

A number of other Trinamoool leaders have faced grilling from the CBI and other central agencies looking into the multi-crore-rupee graft which is said to have affected 1.7 million people in Bengal.