Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday invoked the Saradha and Narada issues to attack the BJP and alleged that saffron camp leaders involved in those cash scandals were being spared.

Mamata made the charge at a rally in Hooghly’s Chinsurah while referring to allegations that Trinamul was a “Saradha, Narada party”. Trinamul sources said Mamata wanted to underscore the message that BJP leaders, too, were involved in the scams.

Mamata made BJP MPs Babul Supriyo and Locket Chatterjee the butt of her attack. The BJP has fielded Chatterjee as the party’s candidate from Chinsurah and Supriyo from Tollygunge.

“They (BJP) labelled us as a party of Saradha, Narada. But their leaders are like a baby in the lap of Narada and Saradha. Babul Supriyo once said Saradha was the first rose of Rose Valley (deposit mobilisation company). Locket (Chatterjee) is the locket around Rose Valley’s neck. I know everything but no step is taken against those (BJP) leaders,” said Mamata.

Mamata went on to say that leaders like Locket would become MPs and MLAs and “eat everything” but no action would be taken against them.

Responding to Mamata, Chatterjee said: “This is election time and hence all such allegations have been levelled against me. The intention is to affect my and my party’s support (base). But this will not help Trinamul.”

Several Trinamul turncoats, including Suvendu Adhikari and Mukul Roy, who switched over to the BJP, figured in the controversial Narada tapes, whose veracity however has not been independently verified by The Telegraph.

“The BJP attacks our party over extortion and misappropriation (of funds), but never talks against leaders who have joined their party. The Narada video was deleted from BJP’s social media pages after Suvendu (who was purportedly seen in the sting video) joined the party,” said a Trinamul leader.

ISF factor

A day ahead of phase 3 polls in 31 seats, many with a sizeable minority presence, Mamata at Hooghly’s Chanditala attacked Indian Secular Front (ISF) chief Abbas Siddiqui, without naming him, calling a “gaddar (traitor)” for creating a division among Muslims. “I know all family members of Furfura Sharif...They are all good. But, a gaddar has come out of the family...You should teach him a lesson. You have to control the cobra before it causes damage,” she said, accusing him of working for the BJP.

Trinamul fears that the ISF, which has aligned with the Left and the Congress of the Sanjukta Morcha on minority voters, may harm its chances in many seats in twin 24-Parganas and Hooghly.

“Some people accuse me of appeasing Muslims...But I never did so…I have no religious prejudice. All communities are safe here only because of me,” Mamata added in an attempt to wean away Muslims who may have been influenced by Siddiqui’s oratory.

Speaking at a poll rally in Hooghly on Monday, Siddiqui accused Mamata of “misusing” government funds to appease Muslims and Hindus.

Mamata on Monday renewed her appeal to people not to vote on religious lines. At back-to-back public meetings in Hooghly and South 24-Parganas she urged people to defeat the BJP’s bid to create rifts on social and religious lines. “Hindu, Muslim vote bhagabhagi cholbey na (Division of Hindu, Muslim votes will not work),” she said at a rally in Bhangar on Monday.

Assault charge

ISF’s Haroa candidate Kutubuddin Fatehi was allegedly assaulted by Trinamul supporters in Sashan on Monday. Fatehi was allegedly greeted with black flags and shoes, heckled and assaulted until a police team rescued him. Angry ISF supporters later blocked the Rajarhat connector near Sashan police station, demanding the arrest of culprits.

Trinamul supporters planned to kill him, Fatehi alleged later.

Phase 3

⚫Total constituencies: 31

⚫Districts: 3 — Howrah, Hooghly and South 24-Parganas

⚫Number of booths: 10,871

⚫Central force: 618 companies

⚫Key contests: Diamond Harbour, Raidighi, Arambagh, Joynagar and Satgachia