CBI files petition naming West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in Narada Sting Case

Within 3 days of daring CBI to arrest her, in the wake of the agency arresting three TMC leaders in Narada case, the Central Govt Investigative body has now filed a petition against the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Apart from her it has included TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee, a close aide of the Chief Minister, and Malay Ghatak, a state minister who won from Asansol constituency defeating the BJP contender with a huge margin.

In a 123-page petition submitted by the CBI, Mamata has been made party to the case highlighting her misconduct, which now either requires her to respond in person or through an advocate. CBI has also appealed that the special court bail be nullified and the case be transferred to the High Court.

“I have heard CM Mamata Banerjee telling officials that there is no rule that without the Speaker’s and state government’s permission one can arrest state officials. Suvendu Adhikari and Mukul Roy have been let off though they faced the same charges. ‘You have to arrest me (Mamata) if you arrest my officials’ she had said,” claimed advocate Anindyo Raut.

Earlier on Monday, Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee (both ministers), top TMC leader Madan Mitra, former Kolkata mayor Sovan Chatterjee, along with IPS officer SMH Mirza were arrested by the CBI.

Almost simultaneously, an organic campaign started within the TMC supporters and even the general citizenry of West Bengal, that these arrests were a part of the witch-hunt that the Central Government has launched after losing badly in the state assembly elections. They wanted to know why Suvendu Adhikari and Mukul Roy who were also named earlier in the case, and have now joined the Hindu-appeasing political party, are still roaming freely.

The common man in Bengal has now after this incident strengthened his opinion that even the political murders just after the results were announced were also a part of the “bad loser” insolence of BJP. They now say that the state was under Election Commission and all these murders were to tarnish the image of TMC – even by killing their own workers.

These two cases together will help TMC to take the “victim stance” and further erode the perception of BJP – helping in creating a demonic, bullying persona for the right-wing party which will see its support base further eroding in Bengal.

Now, whether the case takes a toll criminally on those attached to TMC or not, the ultimate loser will be BJP – which will lose politically as a consequence.