New Delhi, Jan 8: The BJP on Thursday alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee “obstructed” the Enforcement Directorate’s probe into the coal smuggling case and took away evidence which could have led the sleuths to her “doorsteps”.
Terming Banerjee’s conduct the “most unbecoming” of a chief minister, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala alleged that she “tore the Constitution to shreds to protect corruption”.
Reacting to the development that has triggered a huge political row in the poll-bound state, Poonawala said, “She created obstructions during the raids and stole some important evidence, including some files.”
“It shows that the entire connection of this coal scam directly leads up to the TMC and Mamata Banerjee’s doorsteps. She obstructed a legal process, tearing the Constitution to shreds, to protect corruption,” he charged.
“The TMC has become synonymous with too much corruption. Its government protects rapists, corrupts and ghuspaithiyas (infiltrators),” the national spokesperson added.
BJP co-incharge for West Bengal Amit Malviya said the ED’s statement on the incident is a “damning indictment” of the West Bengal chief minister.
“That a sitting chief minister would intervene in this manner, not to uphold the law, but to shield an agency involved in coal smuggling and money laundering, is nothing short of shameful,” he charged.
“This is abuse of power at its worst,” the BJP leader added.
Meanwhile, leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, demanded strong legal action against Banerjee for allegedly interfering in the functioning of the ED, which is probing a money laundering case allegedly involving a coal smuggling syndicate in the state. (PTI)
