'CBI might have brought weapons to stage raid': Mamata casts aspersion over seizure of arms in Sandeshkhali

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo, Mamata Banerjee, on Saturday cast doubt on the seizure of a cache of arms and ammunition by the Central Bureau of Investigation from Sandeshkhali in the North 24 Parganas district of the state.

Banerjee stated, "There is no evidence of seizure of weapons," suggesting that the arms and ammunition purportedly seized by the CBI might have been planted by the officials deployed by the agency to stage-manage the raid.

The TMC also filed a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal, alleging that the CBI deliberately conducted an "unscrupulous raid" during the polling in three of the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state on Friday to tarnish the party's image. The party claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) weaponized the central agencies, including the CBI, to launch a smear campaign against it.

The BJP, on the other hand, accused Banerjee and her TMC of protecting ‘terrorists’, ‘anti-national elements’, and ‘rapists’.

"At this point, if a firecracker goes off in Bengal, the NIA, CBI, NSG are coming to investigate. It seems that a war is going on. The state police were not informed. It is not known what was found. There was no evidence. The seized items might have been brought by them (CBI) in a car," Banerjee stated at an election rally in Asansol, while urging voters to support actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha, whom her party fielded as its candidate in the Lok Sabha constituency.

On Friday, the CBI seized arms and ammunition, including a police service revolver and firearms of 'foreign origin,' during searches at two premises belonging to an associate of Shahjahan Sheikh, a local TMC leader currently in custody, in Sandeshkhali.

Sheikh was arrested nearly two months after the January 5 attack on Enforcement Directorate officials during a raid at his residence, linked to a case involving irregularities in the state's public distribution system. The assault on the ED was succeeded by a demonstration by local women protesting against the alleged atrocities committed by Shahjahan and his associates, who are reportedly affiliated with the TMC.

Apart from the CBI officials, the personnel of the bomb detection squad, the National Security Guard (NSG), and the central paramilitary forces were part of the searches conducted at Sandeshkhali on Friday.

“Today, I heard about an incident near Sandeshkhali. A BJP leader had stored bombs in his house. They believe they can win elections by hoarding jobs and hurling bombs. We want 'roti, kapda, makaan' and jobs for the people, not lofty speeches from BJP leaders,” Banerjee stated on Saturday.

She was addressing the recent ruling of the Calcutta High Court, which annulled 25,753 teacher and non-teaching staff recruitments in schools across the state due to alleged irregularities in the selection process. The BJP has cited this ruling as evidence of widespread corruption by the ruling TMC and its leaders. Banerjee, however, has accused the BJP of being responsible for the job losses of numerous teachers and non-teaching staff in schools.

The TMC government has already filed a petition in the Supreme Court, contesting the Calcutta High Court's ruling. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the plea from the West Bengal government on Monday.

Banerjee also mentioned the TMC's allegation on Saturday that several individuals were injured when bombs stored in the house of a relative of a BJP leader in Hasnabad, North 24 Parganas district, exploded.

“All have witnessed the drama enacted by the CBI along with the NSG at Sandeshkhali in the same Basirhat region under the guise of recovering firearms from a house located at an isolated place on Friday,” remarked Kunal Ghosh, a senior TMC leader. He alleged that the NSG was involved "as part of the drama at Sandeshkhali yesterday. Today, an explosion occurred at the house of the BJP leader's relative. Why shouldn't the CBI or the NSG investigate the incident?" he questioned.

"In Sandeshkhali, a few firearms were discovered in a house that is not owned by any TMC leader. However, the drama was staged to tarnish the image of the TMC and the state," Ghosh asserted.