Expressing shock over the searches conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at the office of Secretary to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Tuesday that the BJP government at the agencies are being used against those whom the Centre fails to tackle politically.
Taking to the social media minutes after the raids in Delhi Ms Banerjee tweeted: “Sealing of a Chief Minister's office is unprecedented. I am shocked.” However, CBI has denied sealing Mr Kejriwal’s office purchases.
In recent past Ms. Banerjee had come out in support of Mr Kejriwal and both the leaders are believed to share a cordial relationship. In February this year she asked the voters in Delhi to support Mr Kejriwal during Assembly polls and since then during her visits to Delhi the Bengal Chief Minister had met her Delhi counterpart on several occasions. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) members also raised their pitch in Rajya Sabha and gave a notice under Rule 267 to suspend usual business to take up a discussion on the CBI raid.
Party leader in Rajya Sabha and national spokesperson Derek O’Brien asked if the “emergency [has] been declared” and said that since independence the office of a democratically elected CM has been raided by CBI. “This is an issue about the country and the federal structure. This is beyond a party issue. The office of a democratically elected CM has been raided by CBI,” Mr O’Brien said in Rajya Sabha. “CBI reports directly to the Prime Minister. Files in Chief Minister’s office have been gone through. The BJP is trying to kill the States. They are destroying federalism, “the MP added while maintaining that the party was not trying to defend any corrupt official. TMC MPs also raised the slogan “Bachao Bachao Federalism” [Save Federalism] in the Upper House.
State Assembly to discuss “intolerance” today
Addressing a public gathering later in the day in Malda district, Ms Banerjee targeted the Centre and said that she fails to understand the reason for such raids.
“Religious intolerance going on, political intolerance is going on and there is also economic intolerance,” she said raising the issue of State’s debt and accusing the Centre of deducting taxes and not helping the State tide over the financial crisis. Ms Banerjee's remarks also set the tone for an all party resolution on intolerance likely to be adopted by the West Bengal Assembly on Wednesday. The business advisory committee decided to have such a resolution earlier.
All political parties in the State Assembly, including the BJP, have agreed on participating in the debate on the resolution.