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News Desk: On Monday morning, the CBI arrested TMC ministers Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee, MLA Madan Mitra and former TMC member Sovan Chatterjee in connection with the Narada Scam case of 2016. TMC sources said that the four were made to sign arrest memos. They were taken to the CBI office at Nizam Palace in Kolkata and are currently detained there.
Newly elected Cabinet Minister of Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Government of West Bengal, Firhad Hakim said “They arrested me without any prior notice. I’ll challenge this in the court”
On hearing this, a furious Mamata Banerjee landed at the CBI office in Kolkata. She said “The way they have been arrested without due procedure, CBI will have to arrest me also”
The Trinamool Congress has voiced its protest against the move and has called it “politically motivated”.
“As a lawyer, I can say that this is illegal. One needs to take consent from the Speaker of the state Assembly before arresting an MLA. The CBI only has consent from the Governor,” said Biman Bandopadhyay, lawyer and Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly.
“This is politically motivated. The party which lost the polls is now using the CBI to arrest MLAs and ministers,” TMC Lok Sabha MP Sougata Roy said.
Hitting out at the saffron party over the arrests, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh asked, “Why was an FIR not lodged against Mukul Roy who is now the national vice-president of the BJP? Roy had taken money from former IPS officer Mirza. Also, why has Suvendu Adhikari, who is now the leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, not been arrested? He was also seen taking money in the tapes.”
Ghosh added, “That’s because they have joined the BJP and got protection. This is nothing but a revenge tactic by the BJP as they lost the Assembly polls.”
TMC supporters were seen protesting outside and pelting stones, seeking arrest of CBI officers. The ruling party also appealed to Kolkata Police to taken action against CBI officials who have arrested the Bengal ministers. They wrote to the Kolkata police commissioner and accused CBI of working at the behest of BJP and Bengal governor.
In a tweet, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee said “I urge everyone to abide by the law and refrain from any activity that violates lockdown norms for the sake of the larger interest of Bengal and its people. We have utmost faith in the judiciary & the battle will be fought legally.”
