West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday blamed AIMIM and the Indian Secular Front (ISF) for the gherao of judicial officers in Malda district, while alleging that the Congress and the BJP instigated the incident.
Addressing an election rally in Dakshin Dinajpur’s Harirampur, Banerjee said the alleged mastermind behind the gherao in Mothabari has been arrested by the state’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID). She added that the CID remains under the state government’s control and not the Election Commission.
Banerjee claimed that the accused, identified as advocate Mofakkarul Islam, was apprehended at Bagdogra airport while attempting to flee. She alleged that the BJP had “brought him from AIMIM” and accused the ISF, Congress, and BJP of collectively fuelling the unrest.
The chief minister described the incident, in which judicial officers were gheraoed for several hours earlier this week, as a politically engineered act of violence.
She also raised concerns over electoral processes, questioning why Assembly elections could not be conducted using the same voter lists as the 2024 general elections. Referring to allegations of voter irregularities, Banerjee said that if such claims were valid, then those who had previously benefited from those votes should also be held accountable.
Further escalating her attack, Banerjee alleged that money was being transported using CRPF vehicles during the election period and claimed to have evidence of such movements, which she said would be revealed at an appropriate time.
She also took a swipe at Union Home Minister Amit Shah, stating that his decision to stay in West Bengal during the elections would not benefit the BJP and could instead reduce its vote share.
The remarks come amid heightened political tensions in the state as campaigning intensifies ahead of the Assembly polls.
