SC order to Calcutta police chief.... The BJP described it as a blow to the Bengal chief minister ... : Mamata Banerjee claims moral victory

TT, PTI, 5 February 2019,  Calcutta: The Supreme Court's direction that no coercive steps, including the arrest of Calcutta police commissioner Rajeev Kumar, would take place during the investigation into the Saradha scam is "our moral victory", Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Tuesday.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed Kumar to make himself available before the CBI and "faithfully" cooperate with the agency in the probe.

The BJP, too, saw “moral victory” in the Supreme Court order, but for the CBI. Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said it was a blow to Mamata and showed that nobody is above the law, including the police commissioner.

The Mamata-led government in Bengal and the BJP have been at loggerheads after the CBI tried to question Kumar in connection with the Saradha case. Mamata has been on a 'dharna' since Sunday night over the CBI's attempts to interrogate the police chief.

The Supreme Court's order is a victory of the common man, democracy and the Constitution, the chief minister told reporters at the dharna venue in central Calcutta. "There must be some story behind this. Nobody can dare speak against Modi. Our's is a mass agitation and we are going to fight it unitedly," she said.

Mamata began a "Save India" dharna in front of Metro Cinema in the heart of Calcutta on Sunday night, insisting that the latest CBI action was tantamount to stifling the spirit of the "Constitution and federalism" in the country.

"We always respect the law and feel that things should run as per the law. But, if someone tries to destroy the pillars on which democracy stands, then there would be nothing left of the democratic process that we are so proud of,” she said.

"We really welcome the [Supreme Court] verdict. It is absolutely correct. Our case is very strong. We never said we will not cooperate. This is political vendetta," Mamata added.

Several Opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, the DMK's Kanimozhi and RJD leader Tejaswhi Yadav, have supported Mamata's protest.