ED Teams Attacked: TMC Slams Centre For Seeking Mamata Govt’s Report

The governing TMC in West Bengal accused the Union Home Ministry of bias on Tuesday for requesting a report from the West Bengal government on attacks on Enforcement Directorate (ED) teams in the state, news agency PTI reported. TMC spokesperson Debangshu Bhattacharya said the MHA was extremely rapid in obtaining reports on any issue from governments in non-BJP-ruled states, but “astonishingly sluggish” in doing the same when there were law and order issues in BJP-ruled states.

“How many reports have the MHA sought from the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh, where atrocities on women, Dalits, and lawlessness are rampant?” he added.

Sougata Roy, a senior TMC MP, stated that the ED should have notified the local police before conducting the searches.

“If the MHA has sought a report, the state government will reply in accordance with the law,” he was quoted by PTI in its report.

In a correspondence, the MHA requested that the West Bengal government give a full report on the circumstances surrounding the attacks that harmed ED workers. It also requested that the state government give details about the actions taken in response to the attacks on the central investigation agency teams.

Three ED officers were hurt and their mobile phones, computers, and wallets “looted” when they went to Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district on January 5 to search the properties of Shajahan Sheikh, a leader of the state’s governing TMC, in connection with the suspected ration fraud.

On the same day, a second team of the agency was attacked and their car was destroyed during the arrest of another TMC leader, Shankar Adhya, in Bongaon in the same district.

The state BJP claimed that the TMC was attempting to shield the culprits.

“It is astonishing that it has been nearly four days, and the main accused Shajahan Sheikh is yet to be arrested. This only reflects how the TMC is shielding the culprits,” BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said. 

Central Agencies Scripting Dramas To Conduct Raids At TMC Leaders’ Home: CM Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee said on Tuesday that government investigation agencies were staging theatrics to conduct raids on TMC officials’ homes because the BJP is afraid of her party. Her comments came four days after a crowd attacked ED officers during a raid on TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh’s home in Sandeshkhali, North 24 Parganas district, last week in connection with the ration distribution scandal.    The TMC accused ED officials of instigating locals, which led to the crisis.

“Actually, they (BJP) are scared of the TMC. That is the reason in the name of conducting raids, they (central agencies) are scripting dramas and arresting TMC leaders. They are thinking that by arresting TMC leaders, they will be able to vacate the area and the BJP will have an open ground to play,” Banerjee was quoted by PTI in its report. 

But winning polls will not be that easy, she said adding: “We will not give an inch of land without fights.”

Without naming anyone, the TMC head warned that storing gold at home has become dangerous because “mice and bats are moving around” to steal it.    

“They will loot your money which you have earned and saved,” she said.

Sudipto Sen, the primary culprit in the chit fund fraud, was caught in Kashmir, according to Banerjee, and her administration handed Rs 200 crore to the underprivileged who had invested there.

She said: “You have arrested several people in the name of chit funds. You can do that. We also do not support chit funds (scams). But have you given money to the common people?”

The TMC head said that the CPI(M) initiated chit fund frauds, but that not a single leader of the Left party has been arrested.

“Now, you keep on blaming the TMC for everything – for cattle (scam), coal (scam) and others… Even if there is a blot on a piece of cloth, you blame the TMC,” she said.