Suvendu Adhikari demands CBI probe into 'corruption' in central govt scheme in West Bengal

New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday demanded a CBI probe into the alleged swindling of central funds in the state, as he accused the ruling TMC of being behind a "big scam".

The BJP leader alleged here that thousands of village heads belonging to the Trinamool Congress in connivance with state government officials have been involved in corruption to the tune of thousands of crores in the state in relation to work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Act (MGNREGA). "It is a big scam. It will turn out to be the biggest scam after Independence," he claimed, hitting out at "bua-bhatija", a reference to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee.

With TMC leaders headed by Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee protesting here against the Centre for withholding the release of funds to the state under some central government schemes, including MGNREGA, Adhikari accused them of indulging in a false and fabricated campaign.

The TMC used to be a national party but is now a regional party which is fast losing its base in West Bengal, he said, claiming that its protest in the national capital is aimed at retrieving its shrinking support.

It has become a habit of the TMC of doing politics on every issue and dreaming of power at the Centre, and that is why it has joined the INDIA bloc of "ghamandia" (arrogant) parties, he said.

These people are staying here in a five-star hotel and doing a drama, he claimed.

He said over one crore job cards under the MGNREGA scheme were deleted for various reasons, claiming that thousands of crores of rupees were pocketed by corrupt ruling party functionaries and government officials.