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‘Against tyranny and fascist forces’: Opposition parties rally behind Mamata Banerjee
The ongoing face-off between Kolkata Police and the CBI has once again united the opposition in its war against the BJP as West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee vowed to continue her “satyagraha” against the Centre.
The ongoing face-off between Kolkata Police and the CBI has once again united the opposition in its war against the BJP as West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee vowed to continue her “satyagraha” against the Centre.
The showdown between the West Bengal government and the Centre erupted after CBI moved to arrest Kolkata Police commissioner Rajeev Kumar on Sunday evening. The CBI team was denied entry to Kolkata Police chief’s residence and then detained.
Escalating her confrontation with the Centre, Banerjee started a sit-in protest on Sunday night against the Narendra Modi government’s “coup”.
Also read: ‘Will continue Satyagraha till country is saved’, says Mamata Banerjee as dharna enters day 2
Senior Trinamool Congress leader Derek O-Brien tweeted that his party has the support of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, Andhra Pradesh chief minister M Chandrababu Naidu, former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, BSP’s Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav of the SP and former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha among others.
Rahul Gandhi has called Mamata Banerjee, who is on her “Save the Constitution” sit-in protest, saying the “entire opposition will stand together & defeat these fascist forces”.
And Delhi chief minister Kejriwal and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav are slated to visit Mamata Banerjee later in the day.
Also read: Mamata Banerjee’s all-nighter: Phone calls, sips of water and a 3-hour break
The Aam Aadmi Party’s member of Parliament Sanjay Singh has also given a notice in the Rajya Sabha under rule 267 for suspension of business, demanding discussion on the “misuse of CBI”.
Akhilesh Yadav has already deputed his Samajwadi Party leader Kiranmoy Nanda, who met Mamata Banerjee at her ‘Save the Constitution’ protest in Kolkata, earlier in the day.
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“The CBI went to arrest Kolkata Police commissioner yesterday, this is a misuse of CBI. It is much worse than Emergency. The way the events have unfolded (in West Bengal) since last night shows the PM has overacted by using the CBI. This won’t help him,” Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Deve Gowda was quoted as saying by ANI.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Raj Thackeray also issued a statement in support of Mamata Banerjee. “We applaud and support the stand taken by Mamata Banerjee against the autocracy and tyranny of the central government. We firmly stand behind her and the fight against this tyranny,” he said on Sunday.
On its part, the Bharatiya Janata Party has launched a multi-pronged approach to handle the situation.
Union home minister Rajnath Singh called up Governor of West Bengal Keshari Nath Tripathi to apprise him of the facts of the “unfortunate and unprecedented situation of officers of a Central Investigating Agency being manhandled, detained, intimidated and obstructed”, news agency ANI reported.
Tripathi, the agency said, told Singh that he had summoned the chief secretary and director general of police and asked them to take immediate action to resolve the situation.
A high-level delegation comprising Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Rajya Sabha MP Bhupender Yadav, national vice-president of BJP SS Ahluwalia, and Anil Baluni are likely to visit the Election Commission over the midnight drama that unfolded in West Bengal.
The BJP also tweeted its reaction to Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s support to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
“Diagnosed: Multiple Personality Disorder is characterized by atleast two distinct and enduring personality states - there is trouble remembering certain events, beyond ordinary forgetfulness. These states alternately show in person’s behavior. Get well soon, Rahul ji (sic),” the ruling party tweeted on Monday.
Meanwhile, the federal investigative agency approached the Supreme Court on the matter, alleging “non-cooperation” by Kolkata Police. The CBI moved the top court seeking directions to Kolkata Police commissioner Rajeev Kumar to cooperate with the investigation in Sarada chit fund case. CBI interim director Nageswara Rao has accused Rajeev Kumar of destroying evidence in the chit fund cases.
“If Kolkata Police Commissioner even remotely thinks of destroying evidence, bring the material before this Court. We will come down so heavily on him that he will regret,” Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi was quoted as saying by ANI.
The Supreme Court will hear CBI’s plea on Tuesday.
The agency approached the Supreme Court following the showdown on Sunday with Kolkata Police which detained a five-man CBI team which had gone to question Rajeev Kumar.
The unprecedented chain of events also witnessed chief minister Mamata Banerjee rushing to Kumar’s residence.
