Sandeshkhali Arms Seizure: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said there was no evidence of arms seizure in Sandeshkhali, asserting that CBI teams conducted searches without informing. She suggested that the recovered items may have been planted by officials of the central agency, casting doubt on the credibility of the seizure.
"If a firecracker goes off in Bengal, the NIA, CBI, NSG are coming to investigate. It seems that a war is going on. The state police were not informed. It is not known what was found. There was no evidence. The seized items might have been brought by them (CBI) in a car", PTI quoted Banerjee as saying. She was addressing an election rally for TMC's Asansol Lok Sabha candidate Shatrughan Sinha.
CM Banerjee slammed the BJP, alleging that a BJP leader in Sandeshkhali had stored bombs in his house, insinuating that the party was resorting to violence to influence the upcoming elections. "Today, I heard there was an incident near Sandeshkhali. A BJP leader had stored bombs in his house. They think that they can win the elections by cancelling (school) jobs and with bombs. We want 'roti, kapda, makaan' and jobs for the people, not their lofty speeches," she remarked, as per PTI.
ALSO READ| Bengal CM Mamata Injured After She Trips & Falls While Boarding Chopper: VIDEO
Bengal CM's 'Mamata' Is With Rapists, Terrorists: BJP On Sandeshkhali Case
On the other hand, the BJP claimed that under Mamata Banerjee's government, Bengal was sitting on the "threshold of anarchy" further alleging that the Chief Minister's 'mamata (sympathy)' is with rapists and terrorists.
While addressing a press conference in Delhi, BJP national spokesperson Prem Shukla said, "In the case of Sandeshkhali, the way Mamata Banerjee's government approached the Supreme Court to stop the CBI investigation and parallel to this, a large number of weapons were recovered from Sandeshkhali; it clearly shows that Bengal is sitting on the threshold of anarchy. It is clear that under Mamata’s rule, no one is safe, be it ‘Maa, Mati or Manush’ (referring to TMC’s "war cry" coined by Mamata Banerjee); only criminals like Sheikh Shahjahan is safe in West Bengal", reported PTI.
" CM Mamata Banerjee's 'mamata (sympathy)' is with rapists, terrorists, and corrupt," he remarked.
The CBI team interacted with the locals in Sandeshkhali regarding the land-grabbing case.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches at two premises belonging to an associate of now-suspended TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh in Sandeshkhali, where they seized arms and ammunition, including a police service revolver and foreign-made firearms, officials reported on Friday.
BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari claimed that West Bengal is a "hub of terrorism". "CM Mamata Banerjee gives protection to goons to preserve her vote bank and for appeasement politics. When elections comes near, they help her loot votes in Muslim polling booths,” he alleged.
However, Saida Bibi, sister of Abu Taleb said, "He is not at home since last morning. His mobile number is not reachable. He is not affiliated with any political party. He doesn't know Shahjahan Sheikh", reported ANI.
These searches were carried out in connection with the January attack on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team, allegedly incited by Sheikh, who was arrested by the West Bengal Police on February 29 in relation to the incident. The operation involved teams from the CBI, bomb detection squad, National Security Guard (NSG), central paramilitary forces, and the West Bengal Police. Sandeshkhali, located on the fringes of the Sunderbans in North 24 Parganas district, is a riverine delta area.
Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress claimed that several people were injured in the Basirhat assembly constituency after a bomb exploded at the house of a relative of a BJP leader. Banerjee's remarks came in the backdrop of the Calcutta High Court's ruling on school jobs, declaring the recruitment process of the State Level Selection Test-2016 (SLST) in West Bengal government-sponsored and aided schools as "null and void," leading to the cancellation of all appointments made through it.