‘Why were they found in Kanthi; BJP trying to avoid this, diverting attention...’
The arrest of the two accused in Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Café blast by National Investigation Agency (NIA) from Bengal’s East Midnapore has sparked off a war of words between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
With the BJP claiming that Bengal has become a ‘safe haven’ for terrorists, the Trinamool Congress has claimed that it was the prompt action by the state police that led to the arrests. TMC also questioned “what were the accused doing in Kanthi” and alleged
that “BJP was trying to avoid this and was attempting to divert the attention of the people”. The slugfest between the two parties stems from a post of BJP leader Amit Malviya who wrote on X: “NIA detains two chief suspects in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast, bomber Mussavir
Hussain Shazib and accomplice Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa, from Kolkata.
Both likely belong to ISIS cell in Shivamogga, Karnataka. West Bengal, unfortunately, under Mamata Banerjee, has become a safe haven for terrorists.”
Rebutting this, West Bengal police wrote on X: “Falsehood at its worst! Contrary to the claims made by@amitmalviya, the fact is that two suspects in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case have been arrested from Purba Medinipur in a JOINT operation by the West Bengal Police and the Central Intelligence Agencies. The proactive role of WBP in the matter has been officially acknowledged by the Central Agencies. West Bengal has NEVER been a safe haven for terrorists and the state police will continue to remain evervigilant in keeping its people safe from nefarious activities.” The NIA has reportedly praised the role of the Bengal police in their statement: “This pursuit was supported by coordinated action and cooperation among the NIA, central intelligence agencies and the state police agencies of West Bengal, Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala”.
Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh alleged on social media that Contai in East
Midnapore, from where the arrests were made, is an area where a family of BJP leader runs illegal activities. He urged the state agencies to conduct a probe to find out the family’s links in providing shelter to “anti-forces”.
Ghosh’s party colleague and state Cabinet minister Shashi Panja also raised similar questions: “Why were they found in Kanthi, what is the connection there? Our chairperson Mamata Banerjee has also raised the question of how the individuals nabbed by the NIA found shelter in Kanthi? BJP is trying to avoid this and hence they are diverting people’s attention.”