Dare Income Tax officials to raid choppers of BJP leaders: Mamata
‘BJP’s plan is to instigate communal riots, send in NIA & win polls’
SILIGURI: Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Monday dared the Income Tax (I-T) officials to check the chopper used by BJP leaders for the election campaign, a day after a row erupted over the TMC’s claim of a “raid” by I-T officials targeting a helicopter used by party leader Abhishek Banerjee.
“The income tax babus (officials) conducted a search of Abhishek’s chopper before the trial run but found nothing. They claimed that there was cash and gold hidden in the chopper. We do not indulge in such activities, the BJP does. They come under the protection of BSF and CISF, do the officials have the guts to challenge them and to search them? We don’t need to do such things,” stated Banerjee.
The TMC supremo also criticised the Election Commission of India (ECI) over
the transfer of the DIG, Murshidabad and threatened to sit in a “Dharna” in front of the ECI office in case of any riots in » ‘I am not afraid. I am no coward. I will sit in a protest outside the ECI office for 55 days if necessary’
Murshidabad or Malda.
The communique from the ECI had also requested the Bengal government to send a » ‘This election is to save your rights, else the BJP will finish off this nation and divide it into pieces. We have to stand up against this’
panel of three officers by 5 pm on Monday.
The ECI soon after the announcement of the Lok
Sabha elections removed Rajeev Kumar, Director General of Police (DGP), Bengal and appointed Sanjay
Mukherjee in his place.
Meanwhile, General Special Observer Alok Sinha, a retired IAS officer of the 1986 batch and Special Police Observer Anil Kumar Sharma, a retired IPS of 1984 appointed by the ECI for Bengal elections have already reached the state to provide critical feedback and vigilant oversight for a level playing field in Bengal elections.
Taking a dig at the Commission, Mamata said: “The ECI, on behest of the BJP, has removed the DIG, Murshidabad who was a capable officer. Now in case of any riots in Murshidabad or Malda, the ECI will have to take full responsibility. The ECI is in charge of law and order now.”
She stated that she would not spare the ECI in such a case. “I am not afraid. I am no coward. I will sit in a protest outside the ECI office for 55 days if necessary,” threatened Banerjee.
The TMC supremo on the election trail in