I-T officials raid Abhishek’s chopper, Trinamool lodges complaint with EC
Promising that his party will take the BJP head-on in Bengal, Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday shared that his chopper was raided by the Income Tax (I-T) officials at Behala Flying Club, a day before his visit to Haldia.
Abhishek wrote on his X handle: “Instead of removing the@NIA_IndiaDG and SP,@ECISVEEPand@BJP4India chose to deploy MINIONS FROM IT to search and raid my chopper and security personnel today, resulting in NO FINDINGS. The ZAMINDARS can exert all the might but Bengal’s SPIRIT OF RESISTANCE will never waver.”
TMC on Sunday lodged a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal against the “highhanded executive overreach and abuse of powers exercised by the I-T department”. It alleged that to prevent Abhishek from reaching
out to the people during the ensuing campaign trail, the I-T department represented by one Pramod Kumar Boipai (Inspector of Income Tax) and one Jayanta Bhusan Ghosh (Inspector of Income Tax) “illegally conducted a search and seizure in the helicopter” leased out to the party and “attempted to prevent Banerjee from using it for his electioneering campaign.”
Demanding a thorough investigation into the conduct of the I-T department’s officials, Trinamool requested their transfer and issuance of orders to the I-T department from taking any steps against
its party functionaries during the ensuing election.
A statement shared by the TMC read, on Sunday, during the trial run of Banerjee’s chopper from Behala Flying Club, a day before his Haldia visit, a group of I-T officials “raided and searched” his chopper, restrained his security personnel, and opened each and every bag.
The party also alleged that after the I-T officials couldn’t find anything, “a frustrated team of Mr Modi’s (PM Modi) men didn’t let the chopper fly for the longest time.” It was also alleged that when Banerjee’s
security personnel asked the reason for such a search, the I-T officials “got into a verbal spat and threatened to detain the chopper illegally.”
It was also alleged that when Abhishek’s security personnel recorded the video of the raid, the I-T officials “forcefully got it deleted”.
TMC alleged that such actions are testament to the fact that BJP is “trembling” when it comes to Bengal, and “across the country, by hook or by crook, they want to wipe out the Opposition in a bid to come to power again.”
The party said it will take
the “anti-Bengal BJP” head-on “won’t budge an inch because of these intimidating tactics carried out by Central agencies on the instructions of their Delhi bosses.”
Coincidentally, observing BR Ambedkar’s birth anniversary on Sunday, Abhishek wrote on X: “On Babasaheb Ambedkar’s birth anniversary, I pay my humble tributes to the visionary architect of the Indian Constitution. At a time when democracy & constitutional principles are threatened, let’s draw strength from his teachings & strive to uphold the values he held dearest!”