A tense situation is formed in West Bengal as the standoff between Mamata Banerjee and Narendra Modi government enters another level by the arrest of CBI officials local police in Kolkata. CBI officials wanted to question Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev kumar on his alleged role in suppressing evidences in chit fund scams probe. They came without any prior notice to Kumar and were detained by local police at police chief’s office. After which Mamata started a dharna in Kolkata in protest.
“This is total constitutional breakdown .It is my job to protect my officers. They (BJP) cannot fight politically. That’s why they are resorting to these sort of tactics. Ajit doval is doing whatever the PM wants him to do, he is the one giving all instructions to CBI,” said Mamata Banarjee to reporters on Sunday evening.
When the government asked the supreme court to order Kolkata police chief Rajeev kumar to surrender all evidences he had, Chief justice Ranjan Gogoi said “there is no evidence that Kolkata police is destroying evidence. Lay down the evidence and we will come down so heavily that he will regret it”.
Abhishek Manu Singhvi who appeared for west Bengal government pleaded in the court that Rajeev kumar is a mere witness in the case , not an accused and CBI is used for witch hunt by central government.
Meanwhile opposition leaders and various political parties across country came in solidarity with Mamata Banaerjee and west Bengal government. “Federal structure of India is sacrosanct and it cannot be violated nor any agency used to create volatility and instability in Bengal or any other state,” tweeted congress leader Anand varma.
JD(s) chief HD Dewegowda took to twitter comparing situation in Bengal to that of emergency. “I am shocked learning about the CBI rushing to arrest police commissioner and subsequent developments in west Bengal.the country has faced similar kinds of unconstitutional methods during the emergency .situation in west Bengal is similar to that of emergency days #save democracy,” Tweeted Devegowda.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav who extended his support to Mamata through twitter said the constitution and the peoples freedom are in danger and pointed at political misuse of CBI by BJP government. He added that BJP is trying to shed the country in civil war for electoral victory in for the coming Loksabha elections.
Mean while RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son and RJD leader Thejaswi Yadav also proclaimed their solidarity to Mamata. “The common man of the country is against BJP and its alliance partner CBI. We are standing with Mamata ji,” said Lalu Prasad Yadav.
Joining the camp, Delhi chief minister Aravind kejriwal said: “spoke to Mamata Didi and expressed solidarity, Modi Shah duo’s action is completely bizarre and anti democracy,”
Leaders of other political parties like TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, National Conference leader Omer Abdulla, Odisha’s BJD , DMK president Stalin also extended their solidarity to Mamatha Banarjee.
West Bengal is a state along with Andra Pradesh which withdrawn the general consent usually given to CBI to launch investigations without prior consent of respective governments of the state. It was one of Mamatha’s in-definitive dharnas in west Bengal against then Communist Party of India (Marxist)led government which led to down fall of 34 years of communist rule in west Bengal. Mamata Banarjee by openly defying Modi government and CBI by this daring arrest of CBI officials and dharna is reminding of a Mamata who was street fighter and militant opposition leader in West Bengal once.
After meeting with Rajeev kumar and other senior officials Mamata came directly to metro channel Kolkata and sat there accompanied by other officials announcing a sathyagraha for saving constitution. Within minutes hundreds of people gathered in metro channel by sloganeering in support of chief minister. Thrinamool Congress leaders including Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakeem reached at the spot and construction of a stage for sathyagraha was started immediately .Supreme Court will hear the case on Tuesday.
