Rameshwaram Cafe Blast Arrest: Mamata Lambasts BJP Over 'Terror Haven' Jibe, Says 'Suspects Held In 2 Hours'

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slammed the BJP's assertion, claiming that the swift action of the West Bengal police led to the arrest of the suspects in the Bengaluru blast case.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ( Image Source :PTI )

New Delhi: The arrest of two suspects from West Bengal in the Rameshwaram cafe explosion case in Bengaluru has sparked a political spat, with the BJP alleging that the TMC government has transformed West Bengal into a “ safe haven for terrorists”.

Taking to X, Amit Malviya, co-incharge of BJP in West Bengal, wrote, “NIA detains two chief suspects in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast, bomber Mussavir Hussain Shazib and accomplice Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa, from Kolkata. Both likely belong to ISIS cell in Shivamogga, Karnataka. West Bengal, unfortunately, under Mamata Banerjee, has become a safe haven for terrorists.”

NIA detains two chief suspects in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast, bomber Mussavir Hussain Shazib and accomplice Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa, from Kolkata. Both likely belong to ISIS cell in Shivamogga, Karnataka.

West Bengal, unfortunately, under Mamata Banerjee, has become a safe…

— Amit Malviya (मोदी का परिवार) (@amitmalviya) April 12, 2024

Hitting back at the BJP over its accusation, the TMC and West Bengal Police rebuffed the claim, highlighting that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) zeroed in on the suspects with the help of the state police.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slammed the BJP's assertion, claiming that the swift action of the West Bengal police led to the arrest of the suspects in the Bengaluru blast case.

Addressing a poll rally in Cooch Behar, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo lambasted the BJP, asserting that the people linked to the Rameshwaram Cafe explosion were arrested from Purba Medinipur through a collaborative effort of the West Bengal Police and central intelligence agencies. She also listed several states including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Gujarat, and Bihar.

“I heard one BJP leader say that a bomb blast took place in Bangalore. The accused are from Karnataka, not from here. They were hiding in Bengal for two hours and in two hours our police managed to nab them. And they are saying that Bengal is not safe,” ANI quoted Banerjee as saying.

She also accused the BJP of propagating falsehoods against the state and accused the party of “misusing” the federal agencies and denying a “level playing field” for all political factions.

In response to Malviya's post, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh also said that the NIA, with the support of the West Bengal Police, was responsible for the arrest of the suspects.

"Well done @WBPolice in connection with the Bengaluru-cafe blast arrest. Even @NIA_India has acknowledged it in their statements. Any anti-forces should be strictly dealt with. But let me ask to @BJP4India and their minions - where is these arrests made from? KANTHI. We all know which family and BJP's main leader runs illegal activities from Contai," Ghosh posted on X.