Why is Trinamool silent on 2G, CWG, asks CPI

KOLKATA - The Communist Party of India (CPI) Saturday questioned Trinamool Congress’ silence on corruption allegations surrounding 2G spectrum allocation and the Commonwealth Games, saying it was a part of a “deal” with the centre.

“A few people are raising questions about the alleged wrongdoings in Rajarhat. But I don’t understand one thing, that why are they mum on this 2G spectrum scam and the Commonwealth Games scam issue,” CPI member of parliament Gurudas Dasgupta said here, without naming Trinamool.

“They are not speaking a single word on it? It means that their fight against corruption is limited to West Bengal, and when they go to Delhi they compromise with corruption,” he added.

“Their support to the Congress is nothing but a simple power deal, which means you help me to gain power in Bengal, and I will help you retain power in Delhi,” Dasgupta said.

Trinamool Congress chief and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday night expressed her party’s support to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the spectrum controversy. She had also not spoken against the alleged corruption in the Commonwealth Games.

Banerjee and union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Friday held a closed door meeting at the latter’s Kolkata residence to discuss the line of action in view of the logjam in parliament.

The 2G spectrum saga has crippled parliament for the whole of this week as the opposition refused to give up its demand for a parliamentary probe into the scandal that has even enveloped the Prime Minister’s Office.

The opposition was not satisfied with the resignation of DMK leader A. Raja as the communications and IT minister late Sunday - during whose tenure spectrum, or airwaves for mobile phone services, were awarded in 2008, mainly to new players.

The position of opposition parties was only strengthened after India’s official auditor indicted Raja and said his policies had caused a loss of Rs.58,000 crore ($12.8 billion) to Rs.1.76 lakh crore ($40 billion) to the exchequer.

The government so far has stonewalled the opposition’s demand, saying parliament’s Public Accounts Committee chaired by BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi functions like a permanent joint parliamentary committee and is capable of probing any matter.