Police on Monday detained several Trinamul Congress (TMC) leaders after they staged a sit-in protest outside the Election Commission office here demanding the replacement of the chiefs of central agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), National Investigation Agency (NIA), Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Income Tax (I-T) department.
Initially, the police requested the TMC leaders to vacate the area. However, upon their refusal to comply, they were subsequently detained and removed from the spot.
Speaking to reporters outside Nirvachan Sadan, TMC leader Dola Sen said that the party’s delegation had appealed to the EC to give instructions to replace the chiefs of the NIA, CBI, ED and I-T. She said that the TMC members were sitting on a 24-hour peaceful protest to press the poll panel to address their demand.
Speaking to reporters outside the EC office, TMC’s RS MP Sagarika Ghose said that the party was protesting against the manner in which the central agencies are acting on behalf of the BJP during the polls.
Earlier, a 10-member delegation of the party met the ECI and submitted a complaint alleging misuse of central agencies in West Bengal.
The delegation included Derek O’Brien, Nadimul Haque, Saket Gokhale, Sagarika Ghose and others.
The members of the delegation announced to stage a dharna following the meeting with the full bench of the EC to press for their demand.
The TMC later posted on platform “X”, “Today, our 10-member delegation met with the full bench of @ECISVEEP and submitted a detailed memorandum highlighting how @BJP4India and @NIA_India have been working hand-in-glove to selectively target and harass our party workers. They produced supporting evidence of BJP leader @JitendraAsansol’s backroom meeting with NIA SP Dhan Ram Singh.”
The delegation also appealed to the poll panel to lift embargoes so that the state government could release necessary funds for the storm-affected people of Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar.
Before the party delegation met with the full bench of the poll panel, TMC leader Sen told reporters that the misuse of central agencies in West Bengal was against the principle of a level playing field for all the political parties during any election.
She said that the party believes in a level playing field, adding that it is the responsibility of the ECI to ensure equal treatment to all parties.
Besides Sen, the 10-member delegation comprised four other sitting Rajya Sabha members, namely Derek O’Brien, Nadimul Haque, Saket Gokhale, and Sagarika Ghose.