B’luru blast case: Prompt action of state police helped nab the accused in 2 hours, says Mamata
Kolkata: Addressing an election rally in Cooch Behar’s Dinhata, Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Friday hit back at BJP’s barbs that the state had become a “safe haven for terrorists” under her rule, claiming that the two accused in the Bengaluru blast case were arrested because of the state police’s prompt action.
At least 10 people were injured when a blast took place at Rameshwaram Cafe in Brookfield in East Bengaluru on March 1.
Banerjee said: “Those who were arrested are not residents of Bengal. They were hiding out here. They were arrested in two hours.” She further stated that the BJP cannot stand it if there is peace in Bengal. She also questioned if BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Bihar were any safer.
The incident has, however, triggered a war of words between the TMC and the BJP, shortly after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) along with state police on Friday arrested two accused, including the mastermind, in Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe blast case Mussavir Hussain Shazib and Adbul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa.
Following the NIA’s statement, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya on his X handle alleged that under chief minister Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal has become “a safe haven for terrorists”.
Reacting sharply to the statement, Banerjee from her Cooch Behar rally said: “Heard one BJP leader saying that Bengal is not safe. The accused were arrested within two hours following a prompt response by police. What about the states where you are in power?”
“What about Uttar Pradesh Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Gujarat and Bihar?” she asked. TMC supremo blamed the BJP for spreading canards against the state.
She accused the saffron party of misusing Central agencies and not allowing a “level-playing field for all political parties” in the elections.
Senior Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh said that the NIA “had to accept active cooperation of state police. Their press release mentions cooperation of state police in arrests they made,” he said.
Ghosh further stated that police in Bengal remain “steadfast in suppressing anti-national forces” and are always ready to cooperate with other agencies. He referred to reports the NIA had questioned a BJP worker in connection with the March 1 blast at the popular Rameshwaram Cafe, in which 10 people were injured.
The men arrested this morning — Mussavir Hussain Shazeb and Abdul Matheen Taha — are believed to be key conspirators; Taha allegedly handled the logistics while Shazeb planted the bomb. They were traced to Kanthi in East Midnapore. Kanthi is the stronghold of the BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari.
Trinamool Congress national spokesperson Shashi Panja also slammed the BJP’s “safe haven for terrorist” jibe and said: “Why were they found in Kanthi... What is the connection there? Our chairperson, Mamata Banerjee, also raised the question of how they found shelter in Kanthi? BJP is trying to avoid this and hence they are diverting people’s attention.”
“West Bengal has NEVER been a safe haven for terrorists and the state police will continue to remain ever-vigilant in keeping its people safe from nefarious activities,” Bengal police in a statement said. The police said “contrary to Malviya’s claims” the two accused had been arrested after a joint operation involving themselves and central intelligence agencies.
“The proactive role of West Bengal police has been officially acknowledged by the central agencies. Bengal has NEVER been a safe haven for terrorists and the state police will continue to remain ever-vigilant...” the police said.
At least 10 people were injured when a blast took place at Rameshwaram Cafe in Brookfield in East Bengaluru on March 1. The investigation into the explosion had been handed over to the NIA.
