BJP using NIA to target party leaders, alleges Trinamool
Senior leaders ask ECI to look into misuse of Central agencies; the allegations have come after NIA issued notices to eight persons to appear before it in the case of an explosion at Purba Medinipur in December 2022 which claimed three lives
rinamool Congress on Friday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates contesting the Lok Sabha polls are conspiring with the National Investigation Agency ( NIA) to have certain leaders of the State’s ruling party arrested ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said that two BJP candidates have held a meeting with the NIA officer in Kolkata over summon and arrest of Trinamool Congress leaders in the Purba Medinipur district.
Referring to an NIA official Mr. Ghosh asked whether two BJP leaders met the official and “handed over a list of @AITCofficial leaders and workers for immediate summon and arrest, or not”.
The Trinamool Congress also asked “whether the NIA is planning for a raid and arrest some @AITC official workers tomorrow according to
Ta list given by BJP or not”.
The allegations come at a time when the NIA has issued notice to eight persons to appear before the agency in connection with an explosion at Purba Medinipur district.
Earlier on March 28, summons were issued by the NIA to four persons to appear before it.
The blast at the house of TMC s panchayat pradhan at Bhupatinagar in December 2022 had claimed three lives. Purba Medinipur, where two seats Kanthi and Tamluk, are up for grabs, has emerged as a prestigious Lok Sabha contest between the BJP and Trinamool Congress.
Home turf of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, former Judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay from Tamluk and Mr.
Adhikari’s brother Soumendu Adhikari from Kanthi are the BJP candidates. Trinamool has fielded Debangshu Bhattacharya from Tamluk and Uttam Barik from Kanthi.
While other Opposition parties have levelled allegations of their leaders being targetted as part of a “political vendetta” by central agencies, particularly the Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation, the Trinamool Congress has raised allegations against the NIA.
During the day, a fivemember TMC delegation comprising its senior leaders approached the Election Commission of India in New Delhi and sought the poll body’s intervention into BJP’s continued misuse of central agencies against Opposition leaders.
The delegation – comprising MPs Derek O’Brien, Dola Sen, Saket Gokhale, Sagarika Ghose, and MLA Dr. Shashi Panja – submitted a memorandum on the matter and has sought another appointment to discuss the issue in detail.
“On behalf of AITC, we have submitted a memorandum today to the Election Commission of India and we thank them for accepting it. We have sought an appointment from them and we might be granted the same on Monday. A party delegation will visit on Monday and a detailed discussion will be held, based on the letter submitted today.” Dr. Panja said.