TMC smells unholy alliance between NIA-BJP, BJP refutes allegations

Alleging an "unholy alliance" between National Investigation Agency (NIA) and BJP, Trinamool Congress on Sunday said the Election Commission remains "conspicuously silent" to the issue.

TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said in a post on X handle, "Experience the unfolding alliance between the @NIA_India and @BJP4Bengal, orchestrating conspiracies against Trinamool leaders and the Model Code of Conduct.

"While this collusion persists, the ECI stands by, conspicuously silent, neglecting its duty to ensure fair play," Banerjee said.

His post was preceded by a press meet by TMC where senior party leader Kunal Ghosh alleged that a senior state BJP leader from Paschim Bardhaman district, who had earlier been with TMC, had met an NIA SP at his apartment in New Town area of the city on March 26 evening and handed over a list of TMC leaders to be arrested by NIA ahead of the Lok Sabha elections from different parts of the state.

 

"I dare this leader to either refute my allegations with substantial proof of his movement on that day or we will come up with his call records and CCTV footage evidence after 48 hours," Ghosh said.

Senior Bengal minister and TMC women's wing state president Chandrima Bhattacharya, who was present at the hurriedly called press meet, said she would only add that NIA has dug up a case of fireworks blast of 2022 after one and half years just before the elections and "found involvement of key TMC leaders in Bhupatinagar."

"This shows it is not just a case of NIA proceeding to arrest some people in connection with an incident and facing protests from locals. It shows the deep-rooted conspiracy against TMC by BJP using central agencies," she added.

Former Asansol Mayor and senior BJP leader Jitendra Tewary told a TV channel the TMC is finding the ground slipping under its feet due to the mounting corruption and involvement in cases of terror and atrocities against women and poor villagers and hence "concocting lies and fictitious narratives.

"If TMC leader Kunal Ghosh fails to come up with evidence that me or any of our leaders had been involved in influencing NIA probe or meeting any of their officials, I will file a defamation case against him," Tewary added.

BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya told reporters the TMC allegations testify to the desperation of the state's ruling party to build up false narratives against mounting evidence of involvement of its activists and leaders in misdeeds.

"TMC is trying to divert attention from the total breakdown of constitutional principles in its rule," he added.

A team of the NIA was allegedly attacked by a mob on Saturday when it went to arrest two main suspects in a 2022 blast case in West Bengal's Purba Medinipur district, sparking a political slugfest with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accusing the investigators of assaulting the villagers.

The NIA said one of its officers was injured and a vehicle was damaged in the attack that happened in Bhupatinagar.

Banerjee said it was "self-defence" by villagers, alleging that the NIA team had barged into several houses in the early hours over an incident of "bursting of crackers in 2022".