Kolkata, 08 January (H.S.) :

Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, on Thursday said that if the Enforcement Directorate (ED) fails to take action against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for allegedly obstructing officials during search and raid operations, it would send a wrong message to the people of the state.

Speaking to the media, Adhikari referred to the Chief Minister’s visit to the office of political consultancy firm India Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and the Loudon Street residence of its co-founder, Pratik Jain, at a time when the ED was conducting search operations at both locations.

The BJP leader alleged that during the raids, the Chief Minister entered the premises and left with several documents and electronic materials. He claimed that Banerjee has repeatedly attempted to obstruct central investigative agencies in the discharge of their official duties, describing it as her “habitual conduct.”

Recalling a 2019 incident, Adhikari said that when a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team reached the residence of then Kolkata Police Commissioner and current acting Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar, the Chief Minister tried to obstruct the action and later staged a dharna against the CBI in the city. He further pointed out that in 2021 as well, Banerjee had led protests outside the CBI office at Nizam Palace following the arrest of senior state ministers and Trinamool Congress leaders.

Adhikari said the Chief Minister often forgets that she is not merely a political leader but also the constitutional head of the state.

“The office of the Chief Minister carries constitutional responsibilities. She cannot use her position to interfere with the functioning of central agencies. Her conduct on Thursday was unethical and unconstitutional,” he said.

The Leader of the Opposition demanded that the ED initiate action against the Chief Minister in accordance with legal provisions. “I hope the ED will take necessary steps. Otherwise, it will convey a wrong signal to the people of West Bengal,” Adhikari said.

He also questioned why the Chief Minister was so concerned about ED searches at the office of a private corporate entity, noting that I-PAC has been handling the Trinamool Congress’s election strategy since 2020.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh