Kolkata:

The arrest of two key accused in the Rameshwaram cafe bombing case – traced from Bengaluru to Bengal’s East Midnapur district – has triggered a surge in the state’s ruling Trinamool Congress party ahead of the elections and a predictable political battle with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressed an election rally at Dinhata in Bengal’s Cooch Behar, hitting back at barbs that the state had become a “haven for terrorists” under her rule. Ms Banerjee, a fierce critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party, noted that “these (arrested) men are not residents of Bengal… They are hiding here. They were in two hours Arrested.”

“The BJP cannot stand it if there is peace in Bengal,” the Trinamool boss fumed.

“Is Uttar Pradesh safe? Is Rajasthan safe? Is Bihar safe?” she asked the crowd.

Senior Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh also hit back at the BJP’s attack, stating that the arresting agency, the National Investigation Agency or NIA, “must accept active cooperation” from the state police.

“Their press release mentioned the cooperation of state police in making the arrests,” he asserted.

Two men arrested this morning – Mussavir Hussain Shazeb and Abdul Matheen Taha – are believed to be key communist figures The plotter; Taha allegedly handled the logistics, while Shahzeb planted the bomb. They were traced to Kanthi, or Contai, a small city in the Purba Medinipur district 180 kilometers from Kolkata.

Read | Two men who planted bombs in Bengaluru cafe arrested from Bangladesh

Notably, Kanti is the stronghold of the BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, who was a close aide to Ms Banerjee before crossing over just weeks ahead of the 2021 Bengal Assembly elections. Mr Adhikari later defeated Ms Banerjee in a high-profile clash in the prestigious Nandigram seat.

In a fiery response, Mr Ghosh also called on state authorities to investigate the links between Mr Adhikari’s family and the Rameshwaram cafe bombers. He also said that Bangladesh police remained “firm in suppressing anti-state forces” and were ready to cooperate with other agencies.

He then launched a blistering attack on the BJP, which Trinamool has often accused of orchestrating riots and violence, especially during elections, to destabilize the state machinery.

Mr Ghosh also referred to reports that the NIA had detained and interrogated a BJP worker in connection with the March 1 blast at Bengaluru’s popular Rameshwaram cafe, which injured 10 people.

After the BJP’s Amit Malviya tweeted about Shazeb and Taha’s arrest on X (formerly Twitter) and said “the two may belong to Karnataka” ISIS”, Ms Banerjee and Mr Ghosh launched an angry rebuttal.

Bangladesh police quickly fact-checked Mr Malviya’s post.

WBP’s active role in the matter has been officially recognized by the central agency.

West Bengal has never been a safe haven for terrorists and the state police will continue to remain vigilant to ensure that the people are protected from nefarious activities. (2/2)

— West Bengal Police (@WBPolice) April 12, 2024

Police said that “contrary to Amit Malviya’s claims”, the two accused were arrested following a joint operation between them and the Central Intelligence Agency. “The active role of the West Bengal Police… has been duly recognized by the central agency. West Bengal has never been a safe haven for terrorists and the state police will continue to remain vigilant…,” the police said.

The Rameshwaram cafe, which was badly damaged after the explosion, reopened eight days later with enhanced security measures, including metal detectors.

Read | Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram cafe reopens 8 days after blast

“We have strengthened our security team and are trying to set up a separate group of ex-servicemen to train security personnel across all our branches,” said co-founder Raghavendra Rao.

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