The Trinamool Congress has filed a complaint against the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the National Security Guard (NSG), alleging that the CBI conducted raids at empty locations in West Bengal on election day (April 26). The Mamata Banerjee-led party accused the CBI of tarnishing its image during the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections, 2024.
The complaint raised concerns about the authenticity of the weapons seized during the raids, suggesting the possibility of them being planted by the CBI or NSG. It highlighted the lack of actionable notice to the state government or police authorities before the raids, despite law and order being within the state's domain. Additionally, it questioned the necessity of a bomb squad during the raids when the state police possessed a fully functional bomb disposal squad.
The CBI's action followed the seizure of arms and ammunition, including a police service revolver and foreign-made firearms, from the premises of an associate of the now-suspended TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan in Sandeshkhali, West Bengal. The raids were linked to the January attack on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team allegedly instigated by Sheikh, who was subsequently arrested by the West Bengal police.
The owner of the house where the arms were seized, identified as Abu Taleb Mollah, is a relative of Sheikh. However, it remains unclear why such a significant cache of arms, ammunition, and explosives were stored inside the house.
In response, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari demanded that the Trinamool Congress be declared a "terrorist organization" and called for the arrest of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Adhikari emphasized that the recovered weapons were foreign and implied their potential use in anti-national activities. He held Banerjee fully responsible for the incident in Sandeshkhali, demanding her arrest and labeling the state as a "paradise" for such activities.
