Mamata fears Central agencies will target Trinamool LS candidates

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said that Central investigation agencies will soon knock on the doors of the Trinamool Congress leaders who have been asked to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections by the party.

“You will see that ED and CBI will be active soon. But do not be afraid. If they come, ask for the search warrant. After their operation is over, you should demand the seizure list,” Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said while addressing a mega rally of Trinamool Congress in Kolkata, from where the candidate list was announced.

She said that the BJP’s main aim is to win the elections by unleashing the Central investigating agencies.

“This legacy of torture will not continue for long. People will not tolerate the system where people are divided on basis of the religion; where a Sikh police officer is branded as a Khalistani; and a Muslim as a Pakistani,” the Chief Minister said.

Without naming anyone, the Chief Minister launched a scathing attack against the former judge of Calcutta High Court Abhijit Gangopadhyay who joined the BJP after resigning from judiciary services.

“I always have immense regard for the members of the judiciary. But there is one judge who acted wrongly while he was in the chair. I do not have respect for him,” the Chief Minister said.

Meanwhile, soon after the list was announced infighting in Trinamool Congress surfaced in Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency, where the sitting MP Arjun Singh was dropped and the State Irrigation Minister Partha Bhowmik was nominated.

Singh’s followers started protesting at different places in the constituency protesting against the nomination of Bhowmik.

Singh said that he was shocked at the party’s decision. “When I came back to Trinamool Congress in 2022, I was promised re-nomination from Barrackpore. Later, I was offered a different constituency, which I refused since I have my roots in Barrackpore,” Singh said.