CBI vs Mamata: Opposition Parties Slam BJP’s ‘Use’ of Central Agencies

Since Sunday night, the country has been in the grip of a high voltage drama involving the top investigating agency and the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. In the latest developments, on Tuesday, February 5, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court has issued an Order asking Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar to appear before CBI in the Saradha chit fund scam and that CBI cannot arrest him.

During the day, both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) claimed ‘victory’ after the SC order. However, later in the day, the Home Ministry asked the West Bengal government to take disciplinary action against Kumar for taking part in a street protest along with Banerjee, in violation of service rules.

Banerjee, claiming the SC order as a ‘moral victory’, is firm on the stand-off and has not yet called off the dharna. She said that she is not alone in this fight and can only arrive at a decision after consulting with her supporters. It is to be noted that following her decision to sit on a dharna, several political parties and their leaders had showed their support to her. After Tuesday’s SC order, reactions have been pouring out on social media.

Former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav took to Twitter to post an open letter to all Indians, calling on them to come together to save the Constitution and the country. The letter reads, “I write to you today, because two and half men- and a media that has been corrupted by their sycophantic portrayal of these men- are on the brink of destroying our nation and everything it stands for.”

Referring to the BJP’s attempt to stay in power ‘by hook or crook’, he wrote, “The formula is simple- unfriendly politicians are to be embroiled in legal battles, attacked as anti-national and seditious, and their states set aflame using whatever sectarian methods are at the disposal of this government that dreams of staying (in) power for 50 years.”

The developments in Bengal are a cause of concern for all citizens, regardless of their political affiliation.

I write this letter to my fellow Indians with the hope that we can protect and preserve our constitutional values and the institutions charged with upholding them. pic.twitter.com/0v14IrmONB

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) 5 February 2019

Not just Akhilesh Yadav, condemning the CBI’s actions, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said, “Modi is disturbing Mamata Banerjee, he is disturbing everyone. They had ordered a police raid at my house and at my secretary’s house. Now they are doing the same with Mamata Banerjee. This is not good for democracy.”

Delhi CM: Mamata Banerjee ko pareshan kar rahe hain Modi Ji, sabko pareshan kar rahe hain. Mere ghar pe inhone police ki raid karai thi, mere secretary ke upar raid karai thi, ab Mamata Ji pe raid kara rahe hai. Ye thik nahi hai, desh ki jantantra ke liye thik nahi hai. pic.twitter.com/vAJ1bWDwAk

— ANI (@ANI) February 5, 2019

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu arrived in Kolkata to show his support to Banerjee. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik while responding to a question if there had been any communication with the West Bengal government over the CBI matter said that they want the CBI to do a professional and non-political job.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury told reporters that “both

TMC, BJP are corrupt and have been put in place by the Supreme Court”.

Yechury, who had earlier referred to the BJP and TMC as “two sides of the same coin”, said if BJP was trying to appear as a corruption crusader, why were they not ordering a probe into the Rafale scam. He also pointed out that several TMC MPs had already faced arrests and chargesheets and questioned why the BJP waited for five years to investigate," he said.

Meanwhile, BJP’s Smriti Irani, while terming Banerjee’s dharna as “political histrionics”, tweeted: "With egg on her face, to celebrate it as a moral victory is a dichotomy that is only available in the realms of Mamata Banerjee's politics."

Union Minister Smriti Irani on Supreme Court order on West Bengal CBI matter: With egg on her face, to celebrate it as a moral victory is a dichotomy that is only available in the realms of Mamata Banerjee's politics. pic.twitter.com/eQ0vAO0iiW

— ANI (@ANI) February 5, 2019

Slamming Mamata Banerjee over the dharna, former MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan wrote on Twitter, "Constitution permits all political parties to present their stand before the public. Who is Mamata Ji scared of? I have a rally in Berhampore tomorrow but I have been informed that the permission for my chopper's landing & rally's venue has not been given."