TMC calls Sandeshkhali arms recovery BJP's 'ploy', writes to state poll chief
TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Apr 27, 2024, 06.24 PM IST
NEW DELHI: Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Saturday filed a complaint with West Bengal's chief electoral officer over a joint raid carried out by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and bomb squads of the elite National Security Guard (NSG).
In the complaint, CM Mamata Banerjee's TMC accused the CBI and NSG of working in cahoots with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and has called the recovery of arms and ammunition a 'ploy'.
In the raid conducted during the second phase of polling for Lok Sabha on Friday, the central agencies in Sandeshkhali and North 24 Parganas district recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition, including a police service revolver and foreign-made firearms.
The recovery was made from the house of Abu Taleb, a relative of local TCM leader Hafzul Khan, who is an alleged close aide of expelled TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan.
Reacting to the raids CM Mamata Banerjee said "seized items might have been brought by the CBI".
"Even if a firecracker goes off in Bengal, the NIA, CBI, NSG are coming to investigate. It seems that a war is going on. The state police were not informed. It is not known what was found. There was no evidence. The seized items might have been brought by them (CBI) in a car," CM Mamata Banerjee said.
'Throttling campaign efforts'
The TMC also alleged that despite repeated representations, the state poll panel chief failed to stop central probe agencies from "throttling the campaign efforts" of various political parties.
"While elections were going on, the CBI deliberately carried out an unscrupulous raid at an empty location in Sandeshkhali. Media reports suggest that the CBI called in additional forces, including the bomb squad of the National Security Guard (NSG). It has also been reported that arms and ammunition were recovered from a house during such a raid," the TMC stated in its complaint.
The ruling party in the state alleged further that the CBI did not issue 'actionable notice' to the state government or the police administration before carrying out the raids.
"Further, the State Police has a fully functional bomb disposal squad, which could have assisted the entire operation if the CBI indeed felt that a bomb squad was required during such a raid. However, no such assistance was sought by the CBI. It is further astonishing to notice that media personnel were already present during the raid even before the State administration arrived at the spot. At this point in time, it was already nationwide news that weapons had been recovered during the raid. There is no way of knowing with certainty whether these weapons were indeed recovered during the search and seizure procedure or whether they were surreptitiously planted by the CBI/NSG," the ruling party in the state alleged further.
TMC protects terrorists & rapists, alleges BJP
A day after the seizure of weapons from West Bengal, the BJP has accused the TMC of 'protecting' terrorists and rapists, alleging that the state seems to be on the brink of anarchy.
BJP's spokesperson Prem Shukla lashed out at chief minister Mamata Banerjee at a press conference, saying that goons in Sandeshkhali robbed women of their 'Mangalsutra', 'rapists' like Sheikh Shahjahan were given protection and the seizure of such arms shows that the state police were harbouring such criminals.
Sheikh, a former TMC strongman, has been accused of running a ring of local thugs who molested women and grabbed land.
Noting that the state government has moved the Supreme Court against the Kolkata high court's order to transfer the probe to the CBI, the BJP leader claimed that West Bengal appears to be on the brink of anarchy as the ruling dispensation has sided with those accused of rape and terrorism.
The TMC claims to stand in support of "Ma, Mati, Manush" but has instead provided safety to criminals like Sheikh, he said.
Does Banerjee now have any moral right to appeal in the apex court after the seizure of weapons, Shukla asked, slamming the opposition INDIA bloc for their radio silence on the Sandeshkhali matter.
(With ANI inputs)
In the complaint, CM Mamata Banerjee's TMC accused the CBI and NSG of working in cahoots with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and has called the recovery of arms and ammunition a 'ploy'.
In the raid conducted during the second phase of polling for Lok Sabha on Friday, the central agencies in Sandeshkhali and North 24 Parganas district recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition, including a police service revolver and foreign-made firearms.
The recovery was made from the house of Abu Taleb, a relative of local TCM leader Hafzul Khan, who is an alleged close aide of expelled TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan.
Reacting to the raids CM Mamata Banerjee said "seized items might have been brought by the CBI".
"Even if a firecracker goes off in Bengal, the NIA, CBI, NSG are coming to investigate. It seems that a war is going on. The state police were not informed. It is not known what was found. There was no evidence. The seized items might have been brought by them (CBI) in a car," CM Mamata Banerjee said.
'Throttling campaign efforts'
The TMC also alleged that despite repeated representations, the state poll panel chief failed to stop central probe agencies from "throttling the campaign efforts" of various political parties.
"While elections were going on, the CBI deliberately carried out an unscrupulous raid at an empty location in Sandeshkhali. Media reports suggest that the CBI called in additional forces, including the bomb squad of the National Security Guard (NSG). It has also been reported that arms and ammunition were recovered from a house during such a raid," the TMC stated in its complaint.
The ruling party in the state alleged further that the CBI did not issue 'actionable notice' to the state government or the police administration before carrying out the raids.
"Further, the State Police has a fully functional bomb disposal squad, which could have assisted the entire operation if the CBI indeed felt that a bomb squad was required during such a raid. However, no such assistance was sought by the CBI. It is further astonishing to notice that media personnel were already present during the raid even before the State administration arrived at the spot. At this point in time, it was already nationwide news that weapons had been recovered during the raid. There is no way of knowing with certainty whether these weapons were indeed recovered during the search and seizure procedure or whether they were surreptitiously planted by the CBI/NSG," the ruling party in the state alleged further.
TMC protects terrorists & rapists, alleges BJP
A day after the seizure of weapons from West Bengal, the BJP has accused the TMC of 'protecting' terrorists and rapists, alleging that the state seems to be on the brink of anarchy.
BJP's spokesperson Prem Shukla lashed out at chief minister Mamata Banerjee at a press conference, saying that goons in Sandeshkhali robbed women of their 'Mangalsutra', 'rapists' like Sheikh Shahjahan were given protection and the seizure of such arms shows that the state police were harbouring such criminals.
Sheikh, a former TMC strongman, has been accused of running a ring of local thugs who molested women and grabbed land.
Noting that the state government has moved the Supreme Court against the Kolkata high court's order to transfer the probe to the CBI, the BJP leader claimed that West Bengal appears to be on the brink of anarchy as the ruling dispensation has sided with those accused of rape and terrorism.
The TMC claims to stand in support of "Ma, Mati, Manush" but has instead provided safety to criminals like Sheikh, he said.
Does Banerjee now have any moral right to appeal in the apex court after the seizure of weapons, Shukla asked, slamming the opposition INDIA bloc for their radio silence on the Sandeshkhali matter.
(With ANI inputs)