Political slugfest in Bengal as TMC now targets CAG after ED & CBI

A fresh political slugfest erupted in West Bengal on Sunday as Trinamool Congress (TMC) has now started targeting the Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG) over the latter’s findings regarding non-submission of 'utilisation certificates' by the state government regarding fund utilisation under various centrally-sponsored schemes.

Previously, the party had charged that central agencies like CBI and ED were targetting it.

The opposition has countered the allegations of the ruling party claiming that whenever any entity makes progress in revealing the financial irregularities in the state involving the ruling party and the state government, Trinamool Congress starts questioning the integrity of those entities.

While, the the ruling party has alleged that ED and CBI are working at the behest of BJP by selectively targeting Trinamool Congress leaders, it has claimed that CAG is playing a role in preparing documents for a negative political narrative against the TMC.

While speaking to media persons on Sunday, Trinamool Congress spokesman Kunal Ghosh said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also made it clear that the state government had been diligently forwarding the utilisation certificates to the Union ministries concerned.

“Even after that CAG is making certain observations, which are being used by the opposition in creating a negative narrative against the state government. This is extremely unfortunate. I hope that in future CAG will refrain from such efforts of preparing documents for a negative political narrative,” said Ghosh.

State BJP President and party's Lok Sabha MP Sukanta Majumdar said that the ruling party leadership is trying to hoodwink people by unnecessarily blaming the CAG authorities.

“Trinamool Congress leadership, including the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has claimed, the CAG report had held the current Trinamool Congress regime responsible for the irregularities took place during the previous Left Front regime. But the reality is that the report of CAG reflects figures till 2020-21 and the Left Front regime ended 10 years before that. What will the Trinamool Congress leadership say about the irregularities during the period after the end of the Left Front rule?” questioned Majumdar.