Several Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders, including MPs and former MPs, were detained by Delhi police on Monday while they were holding a dharna outside the Election Commission’s office. The protest was organized by the TMC to demand changes in the chiefs of central probe agencies, including the CBI, NIA, ED, and Income Tax Department.
The TMC has been vocal about its allegations that these central probe agencies are unfairly targeting opposition parties and their leaders, allegedly at the behest of the BJP-led central government. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has repeatedly criticized the central agencies, asserting that they are being misused for political purposes.
A 10-member TMC delegation had met with the Election Commission to present their demands before organizing the dharna. However, soon after the protest began, Delhi police detained several TMC leaders, sparking accusations of kidnapping by the party.
TMC leader Saket Gokhale, among those detained, accused Delhi police of abruptly diverting the buses transporting the MPs to an unknown location. He claimed that this action was taken without prior information or consent.
“Delhi Police has kidnapped us 5 TMC MPs & 4 former MPs. We were protesting at EC & were told we’d be taken to Mandir Marg Police Station. And then, suddenly, the bus has been diverted & going to an unknown location,” Saket Gokhale said.
The TMC leaders asserted that their protest was aimed at highlighting what they perceive as the misuse of central agencies by the BJP for political gains. They accused the NIA, ED, CBI, and IT departments of acting in favour of the BJP during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Meanwhile, the NIA has denied any mala fide intention behind its actions, stating that the controversy surrounding the alleged attack on its team during an arrest operation in West Bengal is unfortunate. This incident has further fueled the political tensions between the TMC and the central government ahead of the upcoming elections.
