4 months ago
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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s visits to the residence of I-PAC manager Pratik Jain and the bureau of the political consultancy steadfast during Enforcement Directorate raids connected Thursday (January 8) drew beardown criticism from Opposition parties.
Senior Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) person Suvendu Adhikari termed the visits “unconstitutional”. “The Chief Minister and Kolkata Police Commissioner’s sojourn was unethical, unconstitutional and a nonstop interference successful the Central agency’s investigation. I-PAC is simply a corporate organisation; they are not a governmental party. If determination are allegations against them, they tin amusement papers, taxation files, and look the officials,” the Leader of the Opposition successful the State Assembly said.
He besides added that the ED indispensable enactment against Ms. Banerjee’s visits arsenic specified actions whitethorn nonstop a incorrect connection to the radical of West Bengal. The BJP MLA said Ms. Banerjee had a “habit” of interfering successful Central bureau raids.
In 2019, the Chief Minister had attempted to stop a Central Bureau of Investigation search at past Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar’s house.
“This is an effort to shield criminals and fell evidence... She near the premises with files and attacked the [Union] Home Minister [Amit Shah]. How is the HM related to this?” BJP State president Samik Bhattacharya asked. He further alleged that Thursday’s incidents proved that the Trinamool Congress was progressive successful the corruption that the ED was investigating. He further said the BJP does not usage Central agencies to triumph elections.
Earlier, aft visiting I-PAC’s office, Ms. Banerjee had said, “If Amit Shah wants to triumph the election, helium should combat it astatine the polls. But wherefore raid our party’s IT assemblage and snatch distant each our documents.” She came down heavy connected the BJP-led Union authorities and alleged that the raid was a maneuver to intimidate the enactment and its leaders.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) State caput Mohammad Salim said some the Trinamool and the BJP utilized authorities agencies for governmental work. “Is the Chief Minister behaviour legal? She smuggled retired documents from their office. She is not the proprietor [of I-PAC], yet she loaded its documents into a Trinamool car,” Mr. Salim said. “If Ms. Banerjee interfered successful a Central bureau hunt and took distant documents, then the houses and offices of Ms. Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee should beryllium searched. He besides said cases indispensable beryllium registered against the Chief Minister and constabulary officers who interfered successful the raids.
Congress State president Subhankar Sarkar also criticised the Chief Minister’s determination to interfere successful the ED search. “How and nether what rules did she travel retired of the I-PAC bureau carrying files close successful beforehand of the ED? If this is true, past wherefore did the ED stay soundless and simply beryllium with folded hands?” Mr. Sarkar said. He further alleged that Ms. Banerjee walking retired of the ED raid with files shows that the full occurrence was a governmental amusement and done nether communal knowing of the 2 entities.
