Dinhata (West Bengal): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday trained guns on the National Investigation Agency (NIA) over arrest of two accused in Bengaluru's Rameshwaram Cafe blast from the state early this morning.
The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), has been severely attacked by the BJP on the issue. Responding to which, Banerjee clarified that the two accused were actually arrested by the West Bengal Police from Kanthi in East Midnapore and not NIA, as claimed by the BJP.
Banerjee is campaigning in North Bengal from April 12 to 16 for the upcoming Lok Sabha Election 2024. She addressed a public meeting at the Dinhata Sanghati Maidan today and her second meeting is at Kalchini.
Earlier, BJP's IT cell chief Amit Malvya claimed that NIA had arrested one of the masterminds of the Rameshwaram Cafe blast.
Following which, the West Bengal Police took to its X handle claiming that the arrest was made by the state police and not the NIA. It stated that the two persons were arrested by the state police and handed over to the NIA.
Speaking on the issue from Dinhata, Banerjee attacked both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. "A bomb blast happened in Bengaluru. The accused are all from Karnataka, not from here. They were hiding here and we nabbed them within two hours. People of Bengal live in peace, which doesn't suit BJP. Are Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat safe?", Mamata asked.
Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari said that under Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal is now a free zone of international militants. Adhikari's comments came soon after the NIA arrested the two accused from Kanthi.
Echoing the same, BJP's IT cell leader Amit Malviya wrote on his X handle that West Bengal under Mamata Banerjee has become a safe haven for terrorists.
Meanwhile, TMC Rajya Sabha member Saket Gokhale tweeted blaming Suvendu Adhikari, without naming him. "Incidentally, where in West Bengal were the 2 terror suspects arrested (in a joint WB Police-NIA operation) from? From Kanthi (Contai). Why isn’t BJP telling us which leader’s “stronghold” is Kanthi & who is the sitting MP from that seat? Very mysterious especially considering a BJP worker was also previously detained & questioned in this same case," Gokhale wrote.
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