Saradha scam: Won't succumb under pressure, says Mamata Banerjee

 Under opposition attack over the Saradha chit fund scam, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said she would not succumb under any pressure or "threat".

"I am not bothered about any pressure or threat, even by the CBI or ED. I am only afraid of people, whom I admire most... I never bow my head under any pressure. People are the key factors in a democracy," Banerjee said in an interview to a local TV Channel. "I will not do anything under threat or intimidation by using CBI and at times by ED. If I am politely asked to do some work, I will do rather," Banerjee said in an apparent reference to the ongoing CBI probe into the Saradha chitfund scam.

"Other than people I am afraid of nothing, not even death, that's why I've written so many poems challenging the death," Banerjee quipped. "My life is full of challenges. I had to overcome many hurdles. Even I escaped brutal attacks on me by the CPI(M) goons several times... from Hazra crossing to Garden Reach.

Even the then ruling CPI(M) had tried to eliminate me in the name of movement," she said. "Even the pro-CPI(M) stance by the state Congress forced me to form the Trinamool Congress. I can't act as a stooge," Banerjee said while blaming the CPI(M) for her defeat in the 1989 Lok Sabha elections.

Lashing out at a section of media, the Chief Minister said, "Polluted media has been a big challenge for us these days. I'm not against the media but what some media (houses) are doing... total negative and destructive. I am sorry I think they do not know about our struggle." Continuing her tirade against a section of media, Banerjee went on, "Some new people have joined the profession (the media) and I think they really have little knowledge about the struggle we have done in our life. That's why they are writing all these rubbish, describing us as thieves." "Do they have any clue where we have come from. They will be ashamed to realise this one day, but I will not be there then," she said.