NEW DELHI: Former Trinamool leader Mukul Roy , an accused in the Narada sting case and Shardha chit fund scam in Bengal, joined BJP on Friday and described his new party as “secular” and one that had actually contributed to the growth of his former organisation during its initial years when it was a part of NDA.BJP general secretary in-charge of Bengal Kailash Vijayvargiya inducted 63-year old Roy into the party at its headquarters here in the presence of Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and eminent journalist and MP Swapan Dasgupta. Roy met BJP chief Amit Shah, who was present at the headquarters but kept away from the ceremony.Roy’s induction into BJP was expected since he quit Trinamool in October. He had expressed his keenness to join the party and had been in touch with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Vijayvargiya.Roy said it would be “a proud privilege” for him to work under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. His induction into BJP is aimed at strengthening the party’s political presence in Bengal where it is still to emerge as a significant force though it has increased its votebase in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and the Assembly polls last year. Asked about the cases against him, Roy said, “Law will take its own course”.He has been questioned by CBI in the Saradha Chit Fund scam and an FIR has been lodged against him in the Narada sting case where some Trinamool MPs were caught on camera while accepting cash. Interestingly, Roy gave credit to BJP for the growth of Trinamool though both have fought each other bitterly in the last few years. He said Trinamool grew to its present strength soon after its inception in 1997 as it had joined NDA in 1999 and Mamta Banerjee became a minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. “Without BJP support, Trinamool would not have reached where it is today,” Roy said. Terming BJP a “secular party”, Roy maintained it would come to power in Bengal soon.“I do not believe BJP is a communal force. It is a secular party. BJP will grab power in Bengal in the near future…. It will form government (at the Centre) in 2019 and in Bengal in 2021,” Roy told reporters.BJP has increased its vote base in Bengal in both the 2014 Lok Sabha election and the 2016 Assembly poll. However, it could win only two Lok Sabha seats (Darjeeling with help of ally GJM and Asansol) and the NDA got six Assembly seats in 2016.BJP has not yet announced which post will be given to Roy. Prasad emphasised that Roy had expressed the desire to join BJP and was doing so “unconditionally”. “He is a senior and seasoned politician of Bengal.We welcomehim. He has been an MP for 12 years and has served as Shipping andRailway Minister. He toiled for expansion of Trinamool and for 30 years he fought against the atrocities and excesses of CPM in a very effective manner. BJP will expand and benefit in Bengal from his experience,” Prasad said.