West Bengal Assembly passes resolution against central investigation agencies’ ‘excesses’

The West Bengal Assembly, on Monday, passed a resolution against the ‘excesses’ of the central investigative agencies against state leaders.

Currently, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) are actively investigating major ‘scams’ in the state. The two centrally run agencies are looking into the recruitment irregularities in the state-supported schools, the alleged cross-border smuggling of cattle, and coal pilferage—especially where senior politicians, affiliated to the ruling All India Trinamool Congress were questioned.

The party in power, while maintaining that it would not support corruption, was unhappy with the way the central agencies were conducting business in the state. For months now, the issue was at the centre stage of the state’s politics.

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A cursory look, however, revealed that the Trinamool, while registering its disagreement with the Centre’s decisions politically on the streets, also maintained a formal and official stand on the issues. The state government made its official stand through one such resolution taken up and passed in the assembly on Monday.

Another resolution by the West Bengal state assembly was passed in November, last year, when it demanded a notification—about the extension of territorial jurisdiction of the Border Security Force (BSF) from 15km to 50km along its international border with Bangladesh—be withdrawn, claiming it was against the federal structure.

In June, a motion (without naming anyone) was passed condemning the controversial remarks made by suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, which created an international incident.

In January 2021, the state assembly cleared a resolution against the contentious farm laws. While Bengal was not the first one to do so, the resolution made the ruling party’s stand clear. In January 2020, a resolution was passed against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

A similar stand was earlier taken against the National Register of Citizens. There were other resolutions, too, including the one to get the name of state to be changed to Bangla, and for creation of a legislative council.

Meanwhile, after having spoken positively on RSS days earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister, on Monday, offered another political twist when she kept PM Modi out of the alleged "excesses" of central agencies, instead putting the blame on some of the BJP leaders for the alleged misuse.

Speaking on the resolution she requested PM to ensure that party's agenda stays separate from that of the Union government.