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ED team attacked in Bengal: ‘Declare emergency’, says BJP; TMC alleges ‘provocation’
An Enforcement Directorate (ED) team was attacked and its vehicles damaged in Sandeshkhali village of North 24 Parganas in West Bengal.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday blasted the West Bengal government after a team from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was attacked in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district when it tried to raid the house of block-level functionaries of the ruling TMC.
BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya asserted that the attackers were possibly illegal immigrants patronised by local TMC leaders and that the continuance of Mamata Banerjee-led government in West Bengal poses a "national security threat."
The incident occurred during the raid by ED on the premises of two block-level leaders Shahjahan Sheikh and Shankar Adhya, and their relatives in connection with the alleged ration scam in North 24 Parganas district's Sandeshkhali. Sajahan is considered to be a close aide of state minister Jyotipriyo Mallick who was arrested in connection with the multi-crore ration distribution scam.
When the NIA team tried to break open the door of Sheikh’s house after repeated calls, hundreds of men and women gathered at the spot shouting slogans, agency officials said.
Also read: 'Not banana republic': Bengal governor's 'Constitution' warning to TMC govt on ED attack
Former West Bengal BJP President Rahul Sinha condemned the attack and said, “Shahjahan Sheikh is a don of the Sandeshkhali area. There are a lot of murder cases against him. The police do not take any action because he is a TMC leader.”
Calling to invoke emergency provisions in the state, BJP MP Jagannath Sarkar alleged that the attack on ED officials was a result of the failure of democracy in West Bengal.
“The organisations working against the nation are getting powerful. Bombs, pistols etc are recovered every day but no proper action is being taken against them. Hence, it is important to remove the government and declare an emergency in the state. Once it's done everything will improve and nobody will dare to attack the ED team,” he said.
However, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh claimed that the attack was a result of provocation by central agencies at the behest of the BJP.
“In West Bengal, central agencies and forces on the instructions of the BJP are going to the residence of one or the other TMC leader or workers to harass, spread negative statements and provoke people.”
