Groups of NSG commandos have been deployed in Sandeshkhali final night after arms have been discovered (File)
New Delhi:
Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress has now knocked on the doorways of the Election Commissioner with an official criticism in opposition to the Central Bureau of Investigation, or CBI, accusing it of ”throttling” the Opposition’s, together with its personal, campaigns at a time when elections are on. The letter of criticism was despatched final night.
This comes after the Bengal authorities moved the Supreme Court docket on Friday in opposition to a Calcutta Excessive Court docket order directing a CBI probe into allegations of extortion, land seize, and sexual assault from Sandeshkhali in opposition to now-suspended Trinamool chief, Sheikh Shahjahan, and his aides. The Supreme Court docket transfer adopted the CBI’s raids on hideouts linked to suspects within the case.
The federal company recovered foreign-made weapons and ammunition, following which groups of the elite Nationwide Safety Guard (NSG) commandos have been deployed to the spot.
The get together stated there’s ”no manner of figuring out with certainty” if the weapons allegedly retrieved within the searches have been ”surreptitiously planted by the CBI/NSG”.
”Your workplace has turned a blind eye whereas Central probe companies proceed to wreak havoc throughout the nation, particularly throughout the election interval,” the get together’s criticism to the ballot physique learn.
”At present, i.e. 26.04.2024, is the day earmarked because the polling day for Section II of the following Lok Sabha Elections, 2024. Extra particularly in West Bengal, the voters was scheduled to vote in three
Parliamentary Constituencies, that are, Darjeeling, Raiganj, and Balurghat. Whereas elections have been occurring, the CBI intentionally carried out an unscrupulous raid at an empty location in Sandeshkhali. Media reviews counsel that the CBI known as in further forces together with the bomb squad of the Nationwide Safety Guard (NSG). It has additionally been reported that arms and ammunition have been recovered from
a home throughout such raid,” the letter stated.
”… although ’legislation and order’ is a website falling fully inside the ambit of the state authorities, the CBI didn’t situation an actionable discover to the state authorities and/or the police authorities earlier than finishing up such a raid. Additional, the state police has a completely practical bomb disposal squad which may have assisted your complete operation, if the CBI certainly felt {that a} bomb squad was required throughout such a raid. Nevertheless, no such help was sought by the CBI.
”It’s astonishing to note that media personnel have been already current throughout such the raid even earlier than the state administration arrived on the spot. At such time limit, it was already nationwide information that weapons had been recovered throughout the raid. There is no such thing as a manner of figuring out with certainty, as as to if these weapons have been certainly recovered throughout the search and seizure process or whether or not they have been surreptitiously planted by the CBI/NSG,” it alleged.
The TMC accused the CBI of ”intentionally” informing the media ”nicely upfront so that there’s nationwide odium and contempt in opposition to the AITC and its candidates throughout the current election interval”.
”Media was fed with false info that the situation belonged to an
AITC supporter. Nothing has been confirmed in a court docket of legislation, nonetheless, the CBI has notoriously instrumentalised the media to unfold this hearsay. Therefore guaranteeing, {that a} unfavorable marketing campaign is run in opposition to AITC not solely throughout a polling day when the electors watch such information earlier than casting their votes but additionally throughout your complete election interval as an entire.”
”The BJP compromised the sanctity of the following elections by spreading a way of terror amongst the voters, thereby trying to achieve an undue benefit…” it additional stated.
The get together has urged the ballot fee to situation rapid tips whereby political events and functionaries will not be acted in opposition to by any central investigating company, together with the CBI, throughout the interval of elections and situation rapid instructions to the companies and the media to take away all references to AITC of their reporting.
The Sandeshkhali row broke after Shahjahan’s supporters set upon an ED workforce on their approach to conduct searches associated to a separate case. ED officers have been damage within the assault following which, the Trinamool strongman went on the run. He managed to evade the cops for almost two months till his arrest in March.