In a fiery speech at a rally in Jalpaiguri, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) over the recent attack on National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials in West Bengal’s East Midnapore district. Modi accused the TMC of fostering an environment where corrupt leaders are given free rein to commit crimes. He emphasized that the TMC government is actively undermining law and order in the state.
The Prime Minister asserted that the TMC’s actions are a blatant disregard for the law and the constitution of the country. This comes in the wake of an incident where a team of NIA officials was allegedly attacked by a mob in East Midnapore while investigating a blast case from 2022. The attack resulted in minor injuries to a team member and damage to the NIA’s official vehicle.
However, the TMC refuted these allegations, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accusing the NIA officials of instigating the violence against villagers in Bhupatinagar. Banerjee asserted that the villagers were merely defending themselves against the NIA’s intrusion into their homes, questioning whether women would remain passive if officials visited their houses at night.
Abhishek Banerjee, TMC general secretary and Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, went further to allege a nexus between the BJP and NIA in Bengal. He claimed that the NIA, in collusion with the BJP, is orchestrating conspiracies against Trinamool leaders and the Model Code of Conduct. Banerjee criticized the Election Commission of India (ECI) for remaining silent and neglecting its duty to ensure fair play in the electoral process.
The incident has heightened tensions in West Bengal, especially as the state gears up for polls across all seven phases on April 19 and 26, May 7, 13, 20, 25, and June 1. The counting of votes is scheduled for June 4. The clash between the NIA and TMC underscores the deep-rooted political divisions in the state, with both sides accusing each other of malfeasance and manipulation. As the election season progresses, observers are closely monitoring developments in West Bengal, anticipating further confrontations and controversies.
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