BJP condemns Mamata Banerjee over conduct during ED raids, alleges obstruction
Ravi Shankar Prasad said Mamata should be made an accused for intimidating ED officials investigating the case and 'snatching away' documents from them during the raids
New Delhi, Jan 9 (PTI) The BJP on Friday condemned West Bengal chief minister for her conduct during the ED raids at a private consultancy firm and alleged that her actions show she tried to "rescue something sensitive" implicating her and her party in the money laundering case linked to the alleged coal smuggling.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said she should be made an accused for intimidating Enforcement Directorate officials investigating the case and "snatching away" documents from them during the raids.
"There are a lot of suspicious circumstances surrounding the barbaric action of Mamata Benerjee," the former Union minister said.
Prasad alleged that Banerjee, accompanied by state police officials, entered a private consultancy firm's premises where an investigation was underway, threatened the investigation officers of the ED and left "snatching away the papers".
"She knows the norms of governance while being a sitting chief minister for 14 years. She has also served as a Union minister in the past," he said.
"This means she was trying to rescue something sensitive implicating her and her party," he charged, asking, "What else could be inferred? What was her fear?" The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday alleged that the chief minister entered the residence of I-PAC director Pratik Jain in Kolkata during a raid in a money laundering case linked to alleged coal smuggling, and took away "key" evidence, including physical documents and electronic devices.
In a statement, the federal probe agency also accused the West Bengal chief minister of subsequently proceeding to the I-PAC office in Salt Lake, from where she, her aides, and the state police "forcibly removed physical documents and electronic evidence".
"We utterly condemn Mamata Banerjee's irresponsible conduct. Obstructing a probe and snatching away files are penal offences. Mamata is guilty of serious penal offences. She should be made an accused under serious criminal provisions for her prima facie conduct," Prasad said.
He alleged that Banerjee's conduct during the ED raids was "unethical, irresponsible and unconstitutional".
With her actions, she has put the entire democratic process and governance to "shame", Prasad added. PTI