You arrest four of us and I will get eight of your people arrested: Bengal CM

KOLKATA: Signaling a clear policy of retaliation in view of the successive arrests of the Trinamool Congress heavyweights in connection with various cases of alleged corruption, West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, on Thursday said that henceforth if four persons from her team were arrested she would ensure counter-arrests of eight in all cases already framed against them.

“Four of your legislators are behind bars now. They want to lessen our count through such arrests. Now if they arrest four of us, I will get eight of them arrested by reopening the old cases already registered against them,” the Chief Minister said while addressing an organisational convention of the Trinamool Congress at the Netaji Indoor Stadium on Thursday afternoon.

Without naming the Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, the Chief Minister alleged that the central agencies were operating in the state as per the instructions of Adhikari.

“One leader is forecasting raids at anyone’s place on a particular day. The raid happens and they leave, looting everything, without furnishing any seizure list. People are even threatened at gunpoint,” the Chief Minister said.

Speaking on the occasion, she also said that India could have won the ICC- World Cup ODI, had the final match been organised at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. However, she did not elaborate the details of her theory.

The Chief Minister also issued a strong note of caution against the growing infighting and factionalism in Trinamool Congress. “Giving certain responsibilities to some new individuals does not mean that the old-timers will be at a loss. Everyone has specific responsibilities towards the party. Everyone has equal importance,” the Chief Minister said.