TMC team meets EC, seeks high-level probe into 'attack' on Mamata
Kolkata: Calling the attack on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Nandigram a "deep-rooted conspiracy by the BJP", a six-member TMC delegation met the Election Commission and submitted a memorandum demanding a high-level 'unbiased' probe into the incident.
The memorandum submitted by the delegation reiterated that the events or actions leading up to the attempt on her life leave no doubt that the attack was not an 'unfortunate' incident a premeditated one and part of a deep-rooted conspiracy.
The delegation comprised Derek O'Brien, Saugata Roy, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Satabdi Roy, Pratima Mondal and Santanu Sen.
The memorandum explained the chain of events to substantiate their claims. They wrote that on March 8, 2021, West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh had posted a caricature on his Facebook page where it was shown that Mamata Banerjee will be "hit" when she visits Nandigram. "Around the same time, numerous complaints were filed by the BJP with the Election Commission of India seeking immediate removal of the erstwhile Director-General and IGP of West Bengal and almost immediately and unilaterally, on March 9, 2021, in an abrupt decision, without consultation with the state government, the ECl removed the erstwhile DGP," the memorandum added.
It further stated that BJP MP Saumitra Khan, on March 9, had written to Babul Supriyo on Twitter that "you will come to know tomorrow after 5 pm".
"It clearly indicates that something grave was planned and was in the offing at Nandigram on March 10, 2021," the leaders wrote.
They further questioned the absence of the SP and the local police at the time of the attack on Banerjee and alleged that the eyewitnesses were planted. "Chittaranjan Das and Debabrata Das, who testified that Mamata Banerjee's car hit an iron pillar are associates of Suvendu Adhikari, the BJP candidate from Nandigram," read the memorandum.
The delegation alleged that the chain of events points out a "nexus between the post by Dilip Ghosh on Facebook, the unilateral decision of the ECI to remove the erstwhile DGP, the plan revealed by Saumitra Khan on Twitter, resultant attempt on the life of Mamata Banerjee and the cover-up of the same by Adhikari".
The TMC delegation also handed over documents containing translated tweets of BJP leaders as well as photographs of Banerjee's car.
"The Chairperson's car does not show even a scratch — clearly demolishing the lie that the vehicle hit an iron pillar on the road," the memorandum stated.
The TMC on Thursday had filed a complaint with the CEO's office questioning the role of the Commission as the law and order has been taken over by the latter in the name of conducting elections. The Commission wrote back stating that it does not 'appropriate or take over the day-to-day governance of any state which keeps on functioning as or shall as per the Extant Rules of Business and distribution of work normally approved by the Honourable Chief Minister in a state'.
The EC letter has sparked off a new political controversy with the TMC taking exception to the removal of the ADG (Law & Order) and the DG by the Commission a few days back.
"The Commission has to take the responsibility as both ADG (L&O)and DG were changed without consulting the state," said TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee.
Advocate Arunava Ghosh said: "The CM of a state can decide on her security but any decision making aspect on the part of the government needs the approval of the Commission."
