Congress demands Mamata's resignation over Saradha scam

Kolkata: The Congress Thursday demanded the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the Saradha scam, referring to allegations that the group was favoured in getting a contract from the IRCTC in 2010.

"I demand that the chief minister, who claims to be a symbol of honesty and integrity, should step down. If you are honest and person of integrity, then you will stay away from the chair until the CBI gives you a clean chit," state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury told reporters here.

Bahrampur MP Chowdhury was referring to the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation's deal with the Saradha Group for providing logistic support to the 'Bharat Tirth' project announced in the 2010-11 railway budget by Mamata Banerjee, who was then the railway minister.

In a bid to promote tourism, the scheme envisaged launching 16 special 'Bharat Tirth' trains connecting popular tourist sites and pilgrimage centres across the country.

Former Supreme Court judge Ashok Kumar Ganguly too Wednesday attacked Banerjee, ridiculing the Trinamool Congress' claim that she was a "symbol of honesty".

Earlier, Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha ruled out any probe by the railways into the deal, saying the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was probing it.

However, the state ruling party has lashed out at the CBI accusing it of functioning as a "political organisation".

Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee and several of party leaders have questioned the CBI's role in probing the scam.