Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy on Tuesday said that only the party chief and West Bengal chief minister would be able to explain the political significance of her recent statement in which she stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not misusing central agencies.

“The resolution was passed yesterday in the Assembly in which it is said that CBI and ED are being misused. Mamata Banerjee said that the CBI and ED raids were not being done on the instructions of PM Modi but by the West Bengal BJP leaders. Only Mamata can tell what is the political significance of her statement in which she said PM was not misusing Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate,” Roy said.

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This comes a day after Banerjee hit out at the Centre for the “misuse” of CBI and ED against the Opposition leaders, but stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi “has not done this”.

She blamed the Union Home Ministry, which comes under Amit Shah, for the businessmen “leaving the country and running away”.

Addressing a debate in the Assembly in which a resolution against the ‘excesses of the central investigation agencies was passed on Monday, the Chief Minister said, “Businessmen are leaving the country and running away. They are running away because of fear and misuse of ED and CBI…I believe Modi hasn’t done this. Many of you don’t know that the CBI doesn’t report to the PMO anymore. It reports to the Home Ministry. Some BJP leaders are conspiring and they go to Nizam Palace often”.

The resolution was passed with 189 votes while 64 MLAs opposed the move.
The move by the West Bengal government comes amid the ongoing probe by the ED against Banerjee’s nephew, Abhishek Banerjee who is also a party leader and an MP, in connection with the coal scam in the state.

Mamata further said that the BJP will be ousted from power at the Centre after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

“You (BJP) will go in 2024. Those who are flying like gas balloons, they will understand,” she had said.

She also slammed the Centre for not conducting raids on the leaders who were in Opposition earlier but had joined the BJP. “Without informing the State government, they are sending the agencies at 3 am. If there are raids on those who are wearing saffron, huge money will be recovered from them,” she said.

“How many raids have been conducted at the residences of the leaders who went to your party?” Banerjee added.

She further dared the BJP to prove “even one allegation” of misappropriation of funds against her family.