Narada and Saradha Scam Accused, Mukul Roy joins BJP

File Picture : The Economic Times

Mukul Roy, who recently quit the Trinamool Congress, finally joined the BJP. Roy, a founder member of the TMC was a close confidante of chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, was was inducted into the party at BJP headquarters.

According to PTI report, Roy had resigned from the Rajya Sabha and quit the TMC. He was suspended from the party for six years for indulging in anti-party activities after he had announced that he would quit the party last month.

The former TMC leader, known for his organisational skills, joined the BJP in the presence of Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and party general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya.

West Bengal unit president Dilip Ghosh welcomed him in the party and said they received an “experienced political leader” in the Saffron brigade.

“He will help us grow in West Bengal and we will work together from now onward. His induction adds another feather in our cap. We do not have much experience of winning elections in Bengal and we have received experienced political leader today. His experience and organisational skills will help our young leaders do well in future polls. It is a very positive development for us,” Ghosh said.

Meanwhile , responding to queries on why did the party induct a political leader who has been accused in multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam and Narada sting operation case, Ghosh said, “There is no place for anyone in our party who has been convicted in scams. So far he has only been accused in Saradha and Narada scams but has not been found guilty. The party will never shield or stand by anyone who will be pronounced guilty by the court. The Mamata Banerjee government has slapped several false cases against our workers in Bengal and put them behind bars. That does not mean they are guilty.”

According to Indian Express report, Senior Congress leader Om Prakash Mishra said BJP has compromised on its stand on corruption by inducting Mukul Roy into the party. “BJP wants to restructure itself in one of the populous state that is West Bengal. Therefore, it has decided to compromise on their stance on corruption and transparency. Roy has his own compulsion of joining BJP as he wants to save himself from. This development will apparently erode the support of Mamata Banerjee to a certain extent,” he said.