Kolkata:

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two Trinamool Congress leaders in connection with the 2022 blasts, triggering a bitter confrontation between the Mamata Banerjee-led party and the Bharatiya Janata Party. While the Trinamool claims there is an “alliance” between the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Bengal’s main opposition dares to prove its allegations to the ruling party.

The National Intelligence Agency on Saturday arrested two people from the Bhamedinipur area of ​​Bhupati Nagarpur in connection with the 2022 blast that killed three people. The central agency’s team arrested Balai Charan Maiti and Manobrata Jana after conducting searches at five locations, but met with strong resistance from the crowd, the NIA said. An NIA team member was slightly injured and a vehicle was damaged during the confrontation, the agency added.

“Manobrata Jana and another arrested accused Balai Charan Marti were found to have conspired to manufacture and explode crude bombs to spread terror,” the NIA statement said.

The Bangladesh police had earlier probed the matter before the NIA took over the investigation following an order from the Calcutta High Court last year.

Trinamool general secretary Abhishek Banerjee took to the X website today to slam the BJP over the arrests. Mr. Banerjee said: “Experience the unfolding alliance between @NIA_India and @BJP4Bengal hatching a conspiracy against Trinamool leaders and the Model Code of Conduct. While this collusion continues, the ECI stands idly by, remains visibly silent and ignores responsibility to ensure fair competition.”

Experience the unfolding alliance between the two sides @NIA_India and @BJP4Bengal , hatched a conspiracy against TRINAMOOL leaders under the Model Code of Conduct. While this collusion persisted, the ECI stood idly by and remained conspicuously silent, neglecting its duty to ensure fair competition.

👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 https://t.co/ROKRSVgGXG

— Abhishek Banerjee (@abhishekaitc) April 7, 2024

Earlier, Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh claimed that Bengal BJP leader Jitendra Tiwary, who was earlier with Trinamool, met a party on March 26 NIA officials and submitted a list of Trinamool leaders “to be arrested before the Lok Sabha elections”.

Mr Ghosh said: “I dare say the leader will either refute my accusations with substantial evidence of his activities that day, or we will produce evidence of his call records and CCTV footage in 48 hours.”

Bengal minister and Trinamool leader Chandrima Bhattacharya said the NIA unearthed the 2022 case before the polls and found the involvement of Trinamool leaders. “This points to a deep-rooted conspiracy by the BJP to use central agencies against the TMC,” she added.

The Trinamool has demanded an FIR against NIA officer Dhanram Singh and his expulsion from Bengal.

Mr. Tiwari, the former mayor of Asansol, told a TV channel that the Trinamool was “spreading lies” as it saw “the ground slipping” due to allegations of corruption and atrocities against villagers.

“If TMC leader Kunal Ghosh fails to provide evidence that I or any of our leaders were involved in investigations affecting the NIA or met any of their officials, I will file a defamation case against him,” he added.

BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said the Trinamool’s allegations showed its “desperation”. “The TMC is trying to divert attention from the complete breakdown of constitutional principles in its rule,” he said.

Earlier, Chief Minister Banerjee accused the NIA team of attacking villagers. Regarding the injury to an NIA team member, she said it was “self-defense” by the villagers. She said teams from central agencies broke into several houses due to the “firecracker” incident.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh police filed a sexual harassment case against the NIA team based on a complaint from the family of the arrested person.