Shillong, January 9: Adding fuel to the controversies surrounding the recent assault on Enforcement Directorate (ED) and CAPF personnel in West Bengal, a senior member of the state cabinet issued a warning on Tuesday, cautioning central agencies about the possibility of a recurrence of the Sandeshkhali incident.
As per IANS, state Agriculture and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, known for his usually amicable nature and polished behavior, delivered a stark message, stating, “If ED and CBI are there, Trinamool Congress too has its students’ and youth wings. The explosion of public grievance has now happened at one place in West Bengal. In the future, similar things will happen throughout the country.”
Since the attack occurred on ED and CAPF personnel in Sandeshkhali, North 24 Parganas district on January 5, there has been a visible effort by Trinamool Congress leadership to shift blame onto the central agency sleuths.
Accusing ED sleuths of provoking the common people through selective actions targeting Trinamool Congress leaders, ruling party leaders have consistently placed responsibility for the attack on the central agency.
Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, with his recent statement, joins the list of leaders making such accusations. He justified his comment by referring to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India’s report, which alleged financial irregularities worth several crores of rupees during the current BJP regime. Chattopadhyay questioned the position of Seikh Sajahan in light of this report and suggested that the activities of central agencies are limited in states where the opposition is in power.
Observers note the significance of Chattopadhyay’s comments, especially as ED Director Rahul Navin is currently in Kolkata to assess the situation following the attack on its officials. Navin is expected to provide guidelines for the agency’s next course of action.