Central agencies asking TMC leaders to join BJP or face action: Mamata

Kolkata: Addressing a rally in Purulia, Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Sunday, alleged the Central investigating agencies were asking TMC leaders to either join the BJP or face action. She further alleged that to resist people’s protest against them, the BJP-led Central government is sending National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials to residences of her party functionaries, late at night, for harassment.

“The agencies are asking our leaders and activists to either join the BJP or face action,” she said.

While campaigning in Purulia for her party’s candidate Shantiram Mahato, Mamata Banerjee alleged: “When people are protesting against them, NIA is being brought in. Late at midnight, when women are asleep in their houses, they are dispatching NIA officials to harass them without informing local police. They just want to arrest all Trinamool workers.”

In Purulia, she alleged she received information that NIA officials are visiting every hotel, enquiring which political leaders are staying there. “What is the issue if someone is campaigning during elections?” she questioned. Banerjee also alleged that besides CBI and NIA, “ED and Income Tax are BJP’s funding box”.

“They are intimidating every political opponent saying they will not be spared unless they join the BJP. We have never seen such a situation that is prevalent across the country now. While unemployment is increasing across the country, PM Modi is going around talking about his guarantee. In reality, his guarantee is demonetisation, CBI, NIA, Income Tax, misuse of Central agencies, and withholding funds of the poor people,” Banerjee alleged.

Banerjee also said that the Election Commission of India (ECI) should work impartially else “no one in the world would forgive them for failing to protect our vibrant democracy”.

To gather support for her candidate in the tribal-dominant Purulia, she said: “Shantiram Mahato’s family is well-known in Purulia.

He might have been unable to secure victory in the Assembly polls but we want to send him to the Lok Sabha as he represents our people and their aspirations.”

“The industrial town that is being set up at the cost of Rs 74,000 crore in Raghunathpur will revolutionise industrialisation, especially with the Dankuni-Raghunathpur corridor. Our youth will not have to travel anywhere for jobs. The industrial corridors of Panagarh-Raghunathpur and Dankuni-Raghunathpur will also lead to development,” she highlighted.

Banerjee assured: “I also agree with the longstanding demands of my tribal brothers and sisters. I have written to the Centre multiple times over the recognition of the Sari and Sarna faith.”