Attack on NIA officials is 'direct evidence of TMC's Talibani mindset culture': BJP

NEW DELHI: The BJP accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of inciting violence against NIA officials during the 2022 blast case probe. Two key conspirators were arrested amid an attack on the NIA team in East Medinipur district. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla claimed the attacks were state-sponsored to protect those involved in the incident.

The BJP on Saturday claimed a ''state-sponsored attack'' on the NIA officials in West Bengal and accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of inciting the violence to create hurdles in the 2022 blast case probe to protect those involved in the incident.

The BJP's accusations came after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested two key conspirators in the 2022 blast case amid an attack on the probe agency's team by a crowd in West Bengal's East Medinipur district earlier in the day.

Reacting sharply to the incident, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, ''The attack on the NIA officials is Sandeshkhalli 2.0 orchestrated by the state to put hurdles to the investigation into the bomb blast case''.

''It was not just a coincidence but a well thought out experiment. It was a state-sponsored attack on the NIA officials. The attack was organised by the ruling TMC,'' he charged.

Poonawalla alleged that the pattern of attack on the NIA officials in Bhupatinagar area of West Bengal's East Medinipur district was similar to the attack on the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials, organised by the ruling TMC, in Sandeshkhali area in North 24 Parganas recently to ''protect'' Shahzahan Sheikh.

''Two days ago, Mamata Banerjee, while addressing a rally in Cooch Behar, first gave inciting statements to provoke violence against the NIA officials. As soon as the NIA team was attacked today, Mamata swifty came in to justify the violence and gave the attackers a complete clean chit,'' he charged.

The BJP leader alleged that the attack on the NIA officials in Bhupatinagar area on Saturday was ''direct evidence of the TMC's Talibani mindset culture''.

''Political violence, violence against central probe agencies, corruption, protection to terror and radical elements have been clearly institutionalized under this Talibani mindset culture of Mamata Banerjee government,'' Poonawalla alleged.

''TMC means too much corruption and too much chaos as well. 'Ma Mati Manush' slogan of the TMC government has changed and it has now become 'bomb blast and save rapists','' the BJP leader added.