ED officials attacked in Sandeshkhali during raid at Trinamool leader’s house
A team from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), a Central government agency, was attacked today morning during a raid linked to an alleged ration scam at the residence of Trinamool Congress leader Shahjahan Sheikh and Shankar Adhya, in Sandeshkhali in North 24-Parganas district.
A large crowd of men and women assembled at the location, chanting slogans as the NIA team endeavoured to enter Sheikh’s house. The crowd assaulted the officials and damaged their vehicles. Media personnel and their vehicles were vandalised and their equipment smashed.
However, currently there is no information on whether Sheikh or any of his family members were present at the house during the raid.
Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh responded to the incident by stating that it was a reaction to the provocation made by the Central agency officers.
But Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar has written a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, demanding an NIA probe into the attacks. He also stated that as per observations made by Calcutta High Court judge Abhijeet Ganguly, the state should be brought under President’s rule immediately.
Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose said in an audio message: “The ghastly incident in Sandeshkhali is alarming and deplorable. It’s the duty of a civilised government to stop barbarism and vandalism in a democracy. As a Governor, I explore all my Constitutional options for appropriate action at the appropriate manner.”
He, however, unlike Sukanta Majumdar, emphasised that Bengal does not resemble a fragile state and urged the state government to cease acts of brutality and destruction within a democratic framework.
Bengal Minister and senior party leader Sashi Panja responded to the allegations made by the governor and the Bengal BJP unit by saying that “[a]ny kind of violence is not supported by TMC but the villagers were complaining that they were provoked by the Central forces which were accompanying the investigative agencies”.
She attacked the Central government by saying that “federalism means there should be good relations between the Centre and the state. The centre must cooperate with the states”. However, that is not happening, she said, giving the examples of MGNREGA funds and hosing funds for the rural poor which are due for a long time.
