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The political slugfest over alleged attacks on officials belonging to central probe agencies in West Bengal intensified on Sunday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of “shielding extortionists and corrupt leaders”, and chief minister Mamata Banerjee alleged the federal agencies were working as “extended arms” of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre.
Read here: West Bengal police file a case against NIA probe team
While Modi alleged that the TMC wants a free licence for corruption and violence in Bengal, the state’s ruling party claimed the BJP is trying to “manage the referee” through use of central agencies to “keep out the players” during the electoral clash in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
The two-way tirade came a day after a team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) was allegedly attacked by locals in East Midnapore district during raids in connection with its probe into the 2022 Bhupatinagar blast case.
While NIA said one of its officers was injured and a vehicle was damaged in the alleged attack in Bhupatinagar, Banerjee said the villagers acted in “self-defence” as the probe agency officials barged into several houses in the early hours of Saturday.
Saturday’s incident bore similarities of an attack on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district on January 5, when they went to search the house of TMC strongman and zilla parishad leader Shahjahan Sheikh in connection with a ration distribution scam.
Addressing a mega rally at Dhupguri in Jalpaiguri, Modi said: “The TMC government seeks to have a free pass for looting and terror in Bengal. To shield its extortionist and corrupt leaders, the TMC orchestrates attacks on central investigative agencies when they come here.”
He added: “The TMC is a party that disrespects India’s Constitution and Rule of Law. TMC’s syndicate Raj prevails in Bengal.”
Modi also said that the situation in the state is such that “the court has to intervene” in various matters.
The Calcutta high court has transferred the probe into the attack on the ED team in Sandeshkhali to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Modi claimed that ED has attached properties worth ₹3,000 crore from “corrupt” TMC leaders in various graft cases in Bengal and that suggestions are being taken on ways to return the money to those who have given it.
He urged the gathering at Dhupguri to “teach the TMC a lesson in these elections” so that “deposits of its candidates get forfeited”. “I guarantee you that the money looted by corrupt leaders will be given back to the poor people who had to give money to get jobs,” he said.
His remarks came on a day Banerjee, who is also the president of TMC, alleged that central probe agencies were working as “extended arms” of the BJP.
“Agencies such as the NIA, ED and CBI are being used to harass TMC leaders. They are carrying out raids without prior information, and barging into homes. What would women do if someone entered their house when everyone was asleep in the dead of night?” she said, as she accused the central agency of mounting the attack on Saturday.
Addressing a rally in Purulia district, she also alleged that central agencies were “asking TMC leaders to either join the BJP or face action”. “NIA is keeping us under surveillance,” she alleged.
The Centre had sent 136 teams to the state to find alleged irregularities by TMC leaders, she said. “But, what came out in the investigation? Please issue a white paper,” she demanded.
TMC national spokesperson Kunal Ghosh hit out at the BJP, saying they want to oust the ruling party from the poll battle by managing the “referee” and playing on an “empty field”.
Read here: NIA says attack on its team in Bengal an attempt to obstruct agency’s duty
“You have seen what NIA is doing in Bhupatinagar. On one hand, top leaders are being disturbed and on the other hand, they are trying to empty the booths. They (BJP) want to manage the referee (NIA), get them to the field and keep out the players (TMC) so that they can play on an empty field,” he told a press conference in Kolkata.
He also claimed that people have come to know that NIA is being used as the cadre of the BJP. “Why is the public so furious? This is because people now know that NIA is being used as a BJP cadre. They are spreading violence in the area. Old cases are being dug up before polls. They are conducting raids, nabbing the accused and threatening people,” he said.
(With agency inputs)
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