Kolkata, January 9 (IANS). Trinamool Congress general secretary and party’s Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee on Friday claimed that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has ‘deliberately’ targeted the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC). He said that because this agency was helping Trinamool Congress in its election strategy and was also assisting the party in the ongoing Special Intensive Review (SIR) in the state.
He also accused the ED of harassing Trinamool Congress leaders for a long time.
Addressing a public meeting in Taherpur in Nadia district of West Bengal on Friday, Abhishek Banerjee said that first they unnecessarily harassed me, my wife, my children and my parents. Assembly elections are near in the state. Therefore, once again efforts will be made to harass us through these central investigating agencies. But neither I nor any member of Trinamool Congress will bow down to such pressures from New Delhi.
Speaking on the occasion, he also said that voters from the Matua community, who form a major part of the electorate in Nadia district, will not be misled by the assurances given by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regarding their citizenship and voting rights.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal BJP unit on Wednesday sent a petition to Governor CV Anand Bose against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The BJP alleged in the petition that Mamata Banerjee obstructed the work of ED officials during a simultaneous raid and search operation conducted at the office of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and the residence of I-PAC co-founder Prateek Jain in Kolkata on Thursday.
The state BJP also requested the Governor to initiate necessary action against those administrative and police officials.
In its petition sent to the Governor, the BJP further claimed that there is no provision in the Constitution that empowers any Chief Minister to monitor an ongoing investigation and turn law enforcement action into a political farce.
–IANS
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