Kolkata, Sep 19 (UNI) Going soft on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said she did not believe that he was "behind" the recurrent CBI and ED raids in the state, as the Bengal Assembly passed a strongly worded resolution condemning the central agencies' activities.
Banerjee, who was speaking on the resolution moved by her party in the House, however, blamed "other BJP leaders" for the actions of agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which have arrested or quizzed a number of senior Trinamool Congress leaders and officials as part of their probe into various alleged scams.
Pointing out that CBI was now under Home Minister Amit Shah and not under the Prime Minister's Office, she said the ED has carried out 21 raids in Kolkata, while the total number of cases filed by the ED and CBI in the state over the last one month is 108.
"I don't believe Narendra Modi is behind all this. The other BJP leaders are behind this," she said, issuing a warning to the BJP by quoting a Bengali proverb "tomra buno ol hole ami bagha tentul (If you are evil, I am the remedy).
Banerjee said she had no problem with any CBI probe, but the investigation should be impartial. "I have no objection if the CBI acts impartially. there are other central agencies like the RAW
(Research and Analysis Wing) and the Border Security Force. Let them work well. But the problem is the plans are being hatched by the central government and the local BJP leadership with an eye on the 2024 Lok Sabha election.".
The resolution moved by Trinamool MLAs Tapas Roy and Nirmal Ghosh accused the federal investigative agencies of not being impartial and alleged they were "creating an environment of fear" by targeting only the legislators and leaders of the state’s ruling party over the past few years.
It alleged that the central agencies were lenient towards the MLAs and leaders of the state’s main opposition party (BJP) against whom there are various complaints. "At the same time, these agencies are harassing and arresting public representatives and leaders of the ruling party to foment instability"..
It charged the central government and the ruling BJP with being "vindictive, undemocratic and dictatorial" towards the state’s democratically elected government, its ministers and people’s
representatives, besides officers and industrialists and other sections of the masses since the saffron party lost last year's assembly elections.
Alleging that the central agencies had acted "motivatedly" by filing chargesheets against senior MLAs without seeking the Assembly Speaker’s sanction, it accused the central government of being "biased" despite several BJP leaders being allegedly involved in criminal cases and chit fund-related scams.
"The centre’s behaviour is tantamount to insulting the country’s democracy," the resolution said...
it also accused the BJP-led central ruling dispensation of practising a "despicable brand of politics through a larger conspiracy" to either bring down governments by "purchasing" legislators or "harass and insult" an elected government.
“The dignity and reputation of the West Bengal Assembly, its members and, in general, the people of the state were being hurt because of these activities of the central agencies. So, this house strongly
condemns such activities of the central probe agencies and hopes and trusts that these agencies would carry out their constitutional duties and responsibilities impartially and properly".
The resolution was carried by 189-64 votes.
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