A day after the arrest of Trinamool Congress’s Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal, activists and workers of the ruling party on Saturday took to the streets at several places protesting the “use of ED and CBI against political opponents” by the BJP-led central government.
After Mondal’s arrest, many Opposition leaders in Birbhum came out to the streets, alleging “atrocities” by the Mamata Banerjee government during her eleven years of rule in the state.
However, TMC leaders such as Tridib Bhattacharya, Pijush Pandey, Dilip Roy and many others, who are considered close to Mondal, hit back at the Opposition parties. “We saw Opposition parties dancing after Anubrata’s arrest. They are all rats. We will seal them into their holes with cement. Anubrata was working on the development of Birbhum, but they could not digest it. But we will continue fighting for Anubrata,” said Dubrajpur municipality chairman Pijush Pandey at a rally.
Another TMC leader at Ilambazar Dilip Roy said, “We will not allow those who are now shouting against Anubrata to succeed.” TMC leader Dulal Roy said, “In Birbhum, Dada (Anubrata Mondal) has created thousands of Anubrata. They will fight now.”
Reacting sharply to TMC leaders’ statements, BJP youth leader Saumitra Khan said, “A poisonous tree always bears poisonous fruits. You cannot expect poisonous trees to give fruits suitable for eating.”
Congress’s state president Adhir Chowdhury said, “TMC snatched the rights of the people of West Bengal. They are now trying to create an ‘Anubrata model’, but the people of the state will not accept that.”
CPM’s Sujan Chakraborty said, “There is infighting among TMC leaders for the possession of the empire of Birbhum. Those who are more uncivilised and powerful are bigger leaders in TMC.”
Meanwhile, a large number of Trinamool Chatra Parishad (TMCP) members demonstrated near the BJP’s state headquarters in central Kolkata holding posters, placards and parrots with “ED and CBI” written on their cage.
“We have nothing against the ongoing investigations against former state minister Partha Chatterjee who has also been suspended from the party. If charges are proved against Anubrata Mondal, let him be punished as well. But why there is no action against BJP leaders who have amassed huge wealth? Why is the ED not raiding the homes of such BJP leaders?” asked TMCP state president Trinankur Bhattacharjee.
Pointing to the caged parrots, another TMCP leader said they symbolise how ED and CBI have been “imprisoned” by the BJP to “harass” its political opponents.
BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh said such antics will not yield any result. “In the coming days, more TMC leaders will be in the net of the CBI and ED,” he claimed.
— WITH PTI INPUTS
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TMC protests 'use of ED, CBI against political opponents' – The Indian Express
