BJP barb at Left silence on SJDA scam

TT, Siliguri, April 1: The BJP today said the Left was silent on alleged defalcation of funds at the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority in their campaigns so as not to annoy the Congress whose MLA was dragged into the case.

"We are surprised to see that Left Front leaders, who were once vocal on the misappropriation of funds at the SJDA and had demanded a CBI probe, remain silent after allying with the Congress. We believe the Left leaders are deliberately keeping silence as Shankar Malakar, the Congress candidate of Matigara-Naxalbari seat, was one of the board members of the SJDA when the scam took place. Malakar had been questioned by police. It seems if they raise the issue, it would pose problems for their alliance," Arun Prasad Sarkar, the Darjeeling district BJP president, said.

The Left Front sought to refute the charges.

"There is no question of keeping mum on SJDA scam as we have first raised the issue and demanded CBI inquiry. We stick to it. But at the same time, we would like to ask why the BJP is silent on the Sarada and Narada scams," said Jibesh Sarkar, the Darjeeling district LF convener.

Nantu Paul, the vice-president of Trinamul's Darjeeling district committee, said: "The chief minister herself had ordered an inquiry into the irregularities reported at the SJDA. As the matter is sub judice, we don't want to comment."

Congress leader Jeevan Majumdar has said the party still stuck to its demand for a CBI probe into the SJDA scam. "The BJP has no right to raise questions on such issues as they have failed to keep the promises made before the Lok Sabha polls in 2014," he added.