TMC Alleges BJP Workers Making Bombs, Links 'Explosion In Jitendra Tiwari's District’ To ‘Secret NIA Meet’

TMC made these claims a day ahead of the much-awaited Lok Sabha polls and shortly after it accused Tiwari of a "secret meeting" with NIA.

All India Trinamool Congress on Thursday claimed that a massive explosion rocked the residence of Bharatiya Janata Party workers in Jitendra Tiwari's district while they were manufacturing bombs. The party made these claims a day ahead of the much-awaited Lok Sabha polls and shortly after it accused Tiwari of a "secret meeting" with the National Investigation Agency.

In a post on X, the TMC while making these allegations also questioned: "What more proof does the Election Commission of India and NIA need to arrest BJP workers for spreading violence before polls? Their silence will only mean complicity!"

Jitendra Kumar Tiwari, a prominent leader from West Bengal's Asansol made it to the headlines after its former party TMC accused him of secretly meeting an NIA officer SP Dhan Ram Singh at his residence in New Town, Kolkata on March 26, shortly after the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls schedule. 

In a press conference on April 7, TMC General Secretary Kunal Ghosh and Minister of State for Finance Chandrima Bhattacharya alleged that the meeting was aimed to "hatch a consipracy against TMC leaders in exchange for money." 

They also alleged that Tiwari met the NIA officer carrying a "white packet" which they claimed contained cash, to get the TMC workers of Bhupatinagar in Purba Medinipur district arrested. These TMC workers were reportedly involved in a brush up with an NIA team on April 6.

However, both Tiwari and the Bharatiya Janata Party denied the claims made by TMC.

As per media reports, Tiwari also threatened to file a defamation suit against those making such accusations.

Who is Jitendra Tiwari?

Jitendra Tiwari began his political career in 2006 and contested his first Assembly election on a TMC ticket from Raniganj. However, he could not win as TMC was facing a tough competition from the left back then.

He was also the TMC MLA from Pandabeswar in Asansol between 2016 and 2021. But in December 2020, he resigned from the post of chairman of the Board of Administrators of the Asansol Municipal Corporation as well as the TMC chief. His attempts to join BJP following his resignation were foiled by local BJP workers and leaders, leading him to re-join TMC.

Finally in March 2021, he joined the saffron party ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections.