Kolkata, Sep 11 (IANS): The women's wing of the ruling Trinamool Congress Thursday began a sit-in demonstration outside the CBI office here in the satellite township of Salt Lake, to protest against the "misuse" of the investigative agency to settle political scores in its probe of the multi-crore-rupee Saradha chit fund scam.

In the presence of state minister and Mahila Trinamool Congress state president Chandrima Bhattacharya, the protestors - numbering around 100 - raised slogans accusing the Narendra Modi-led central government of using the CBI as a "pawn" to defame the Trinamool and its supremo Mamata Banerjee.

Banerjee, also the state chief minister, has come under attack from the opposition parties who have questioned her silence on the scandal which has sucked in a number of Trinamool leaders, including several ministers.

Banerjee has also been facing embarrassing questions over allegations of holding a meeting with purported scam mastermind Sudipta Sen in 2012. The opposition parties have also alleged that Sen purchased a painting done by Banerjee for an exorbitant price.

"CBI is indulging in various activities to change the proper course of the Saradha scam probe. CBI is working as per the dictates of the BJP. It is being used to protect the interests of the Modi government," Bhattacharya said.