Hours after a team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) was attacked in the Medinipur district of the state, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked why the team had arrived for raids post midnight. The Chief Minister also questioned if the team had the required permission to conduct raids at odd hours.
"Why did they conduct a raid in the middle of the night? Did they seek permission from the police? Locals reacted just like they would if any other stranger came to that place in the middle of the night," Banerjee said.
Slamming the Centre, and drawing a reference to the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Banerjee asked, "Why are they arresting people just before the elections? Does the BJP think they will arrest every booth agent? What authority does the NIA have? All of this is being done to support the BJP. We urge the world to fight against this dirty politics of the BJP."
NIA officials were attacked by villagers in the Bhupatinagar area, where they had gone to investigate a 2022 bomb blast case.
Speaking to news agency PTI, a police official said a team of NIA officials earlier this morning arrested two persons in connection with the case and were on their way back to Kolkata when the vehicle came under attack.
"Locals gheraoed the vehicle and pelted stones at it. The NIA has said one of its officers was also injured, "a senior police official told PTI.
The NIA has also lodged a police complaint in this regard.
Meanwhile, commenting on the attack, BJP's Bengal unit termed the incident "disgusting".
"Disgusting! TMC's goons shamelessly attack NIA team with stones in East Midnapore, West Bengal, disrupting the investigation into the 2022 blast case. TMC's reign of terror must end! Time for real leadership that upholds law and order," it wrote on X.
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, while speaking to reporters in Bihar's Patna said, "Has this happened for the first time? Was the Enforcement Directorate attacked or not? Sandeshkhali truth came out or not? Now NIA, because when they nab terrorist-related elements, then the attack occurs."
Party's senior leader and West Bengal's leader of the opposition (LoP), Suvendu Adhikari said, "The Law and Order structure of West Bengal has crumbled completely and since the control is right now with the Election Commission of India, it's high time that the Election Commission should take proper action against the Officer in Charge of Bhupatinagar Police Station, SDPO Contai, SP of Purba Medinipur District and the DG of WB Police."
"It is due to Mamata Banerjee's repeated instigation that even after the ED Officials were attacked at Sandeshkhali, the TMC Leaders could still dare to attack the NIA officers. She recently spoke ill about the NIA at the political event at Mathabhanga, in the Cooch Behar district," he wrote on X.
