I-PAC raids: BJP demands arrest of Mamata, DGP Rajeev Kumar

Suvendu Adhikari The BJP leader also asserted that he would defeat Mamata Banerjee from her seat, Bhawanipur, in south Kolkata. (file)

Demanding the arrest of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and DGP Rajeev Kumar for allegedly “obstructing” the ED raids on I-PAC premises in Kolkata, the BJP on Sunday held a protest march in Kolkata.

Leader of Opposition in Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, later in a post on social media, named 11 Kolkata Police officers and demanded their suspension for allegedly accompanying the CM during her visit to the I-PAC office in Salt Lake and director Pratik Jain’s home in Kolkata during ED raids.

“Here are the names of some of these shameless culprits who betrayed their oath: Priyabrata Roy IPS, Shantanu Sinha Biswas, Inspector Ayan Bhoumik, Inspector Bijitaswa Rout, S-I Ruhul Amin Ali Sha, S-I Sudip Banerjee, S-I Leena Bhattacharya, ASI Mrityunjay Roy, ASI Saikat Biswas, ASI Mahadeb Kabiraj, ASI Soumen Biswas.

They are a disgrace to their uniform and have turned the police force into Mamata Banerjee’s personal goon squad. Terrified of facing the ED and CBI’s wrath, these cowards are slinking around like shadows, guarding CM and her nephew’s residences morning, noon, and night. They’re even sneaking out files to cover up more crimes,” he alleged.

The BJP leader also asserted that he would defeat Mamata Banerjee from her seat, Bhawanipur, in south Kolkata. “It is my responsibility to defeat her politically,” Adhikari said.

Adhikari, who is the TMC supremo’s protege-turned-adversary, defeated Mamata Banerjee in the 2021 Assembly elections from Nandigram by 1,956 votes. Later, in a by-poll, she won by a margin of over 56,000 votes in the Bhawanipur seat.

Meanwhile, the BJP alleged that the manner in which TMC chief “forcibly” took away files from the premises of the I-PAC during the ED’s raids in Kolkata two days ago raises the question that whether it is a political-consultancy firm or the TMC’s slush-money front.

Addressing a press conference in Delhi, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad also raised questions on the presence of the state police chief during the incident, alleging that the entire police infrastructure in West Bengal has become a “weapon” in the hands of Banerjee for all her “shameful, unconstitutional and undemocratic” activities.

“You (Banerjee) are saying that I-PAC is your political-consultancy firm. But the suspicious circumstances around it raise many questions as to whether it is your political-consultancy firm or the TMC’s front to park unaccounted money and pass slush money,” Prasad told reporters.

“All of us consult and engage consultancy firms. If you are going to name someone as your party’s candidate, you will announce it. It is very simple. Your meeting schedules are also a matter of public knowledge. Then what kind of a secret was there? What secret strategy was being made there? What are you hiding Mamataji?” he asked.