Mamata lashes out at Centre as ED raids state minister’s residence

Threatens to file police case against BJP, Central agency if anything happens to ‘unwell’

Jyotipriyo EOI, Kolkata, Oct 26,2023 : Lashing out at the BJP-led central government, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday termed the raids by the Enforcement Directorate against Opposition leaders "a dirty political game". 

A feisty Mamata, who has been convalescing from a knee injury for nearly a month, also charged that "like Mohammad bin Tughlak" (whimsical medieval ruler), the BJP was attempting to change the country's history by taking a series of ill-conceived decisions, including demonetisation and introduction of GST.

The TMC supremo also attacked the move by NCERT to use the name Bharat' instead of India in school textbooks. "BJP says it wants 'Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas', but actually means 'Sabka Sath Sabka Satyanash'," the Chief Minister thundered at a hurriedly called press conference held at her residence near the Kalighat temple. 

The ED on Thursday raided the residences of TMC minister Jyotipriya Mallick and others in connection with its probe into the alleged multi-crore ration distribution scam. It also raided the premises of Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra in Jaipur and Sikar as part of a money laundering probe into the alleged exam paper leak case. 

"'Kya atyachar, kya anachar chal raha hai?' (What atrocities, lawlessness are going on?)... BJP is playing a dirty game in the name of ED raids on Opposition leaders across the country ahead of the Lok Sabha elections (in 2024). 

I want to ask whether there has been a single such raid at any BJP leader's residence," she said. The chief minister also threatened to file a police case against the BJP and ED if anything happens to Mallick during the searches at his residences in Kolkata. 

"Jyotipriya Mallick is unwell. I will lodge an FIR if anything happens to him during the ED raids," Mamata said. The ED sleuths raided two flats belonging to Mallick, the state's forest minister, at Kolkata's Salt Lake area, supported by a team of central forces, an officer said. 

The ruling Trinamool Congress termed the raids as "nothing but political vendetta" amid festivities in the state. TMC leader and state minister Shashi Panja criticised the raids at Mallick's residences, asserting that "this is an attack on the culture of Bengal at the time of Bijoya Dasami'. 

This is nothing but vendetta politics. We have seen there were raids at our leaders' places before Durga Puja when we were demonstrating, demanding release of (MGNREGA) funds". "We are not surprised at such search operations as they (central agencies) have identified certain targets... And this will continue," Panja alleged.