Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, has voiced concerns over the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) potentially inciting unrest by deploying the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the state. This accusation comes as the investigative body arrived in West Bengal for a probe on Saturday, just days before the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections scheduled for April 17.
Banerjee criticized the BJP’s tactics, suggesting they plan to stir conflict: “Lord Ram does not instruct anyone to riot, yet it seems they will,” she remarked during a public address in Purulia. She emphasized that while political rallies and meetings are acceptable, inciting violence is not.
The TMC leader further highlighted an incident where a team from the NIA faced hostility from locals in Bhupatinagar, East Midnapore, during their investigation into a blast case at a Trinamool Congress leader’s residence from 2022. The situation escalated when villagers attacked the officials, throwing bricks at their vehicle.
Banerjee also pointed out the arrest of two TMC leaders, Manobrata Jana and Balachandra Maity, by the NIA in connection to the 2022 explosion in Purba Medinipur district. She questioned the timing and manner of the arrests, suggesting they were politically motivated to disrupt the TMC’s campaign right before the elections.
“Why conduct a raid at midnight without police permission? The local residents’ reaction was natural, as it would be towards any strangers appearing at that hour. Why make arrests just before the elections? Does the BJP aim to detain every booth agent? What authority does the NIA have to support BJP’s agenda?” Banerjee criticized, accusing the BJP of playing dirty politics. She called for global support to combat these tactics.
TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee also vowed to unveil the “conspiracy” and the alleged collusion between the BJP and the NIA, underscoring the political tension in West Bengal ahead of the elections.
