Mamata accuses Modi, Shah of targeting TMC leaders using central agencies ahead of bypolls

The moment election was declared the Central agencies became proactive, the West Bengal CM said

Kicking off her election campaign for the Assembly bypoll for the Bhabanipur constituency, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of targeting Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders using central agencies.

Speaking at a party workers' meeting in Kolkata, the TMC supremo said as soon as the dates of the Assembly bye-elections were announced, TMC leaders including her nephew and national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and Minister Partha Chatterjee received a summons from central agencies.

“Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are doing whatever they want to. After election was declared Abhishek received a notice, Partha Chatterjee received a notice,” said Mamata.

Taking a veiled dig at Shah, the Chief Minister said that the “second man” instructs officers of Central agencies on whom to arrest and whom to snoop on using the Pegasus spyware.

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“The second man is instructing the officers on whom to arrest and on whom to snoop on using Pegasus. This is the way a party and a government is running. They have sold the country. There is no job and no industry,” said Mamata.

“There is no democracy in the country. They are doing whatever they want to. The moment election was declared the Central agencies became proactive. I don’t blame the officers of the agencies. They are saying that they are under pressure,” she added.

As for the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summon and subsequent interrogation of her nephew Abhishek in Delhi on Monday, the Chief Minister said that there was no valid case against him. Questioning the ED’s move of interrogating Abhishek in Delhi, she alleged that the decision was politically motivated.

Also Read | Why the Bhabanipur bypoll is important for Mamata Banerjee

“They are targeting Abhishek to hurt me. If they have a legally valid case against him, then I have no objection. But there is no evidence against him...For which malicious political motive you shifted the case in Delhi. You have an office here (Kolkata),” said Mamata.

Referring to her defeat at Nandigram to BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari in the last Assembly election, Mamata alleged that she had to contest the by-election because of BJP’s conspiracy.

“I have to contest the by-election because of their conspiracy,” said Mamata.

Bye-election in Bhabanipur and election in the Samserganj and Jangipur Assembly seats will be held on September 30.