IT raids TMC leaders ahead of West Bengal election; Mamata Banerjee questions timing

THe Income-Tax (IT) section on fri searched the premises of several Trinamool united states congress (TMC) members, including a francis scott key prospect for the upcoming West Bengal assembly elections and a proposer of Mamata Banerjee’s candidature, triggering sharp reaction from chief minister Mamata Banerjee who questioned the timing of the raids ahead of the voting on April 23 and 29.The raids were conducted on the premises of TMC MLA Debashish Kumar, who is contesting from Rashbehari assembly seat, and Miraj Shah, a proposer of Banerjee’s candidature from Bhabanipur constituency.“Searches are going on,” a police officer said in the morning, referring to Kumar’s residence on Padmapukur Road. Kumar’s office in Ballygunge area was also searched. The residence of another TMC leader, Kumar Saha, was searched in South Kolkata.The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had last week questioned Kumar twice in a separate alleged land-grabbing case. It searched at least five locations related to a leading real estate group in Kolkata and Salt Lake.Also Read | Nandigram to Bhabanipur, 5 key seats that will define West Bengal electionsA similar search operation was conducted at the residence of Shah on Elgin Road in Bhawanipore, which went on until 4 pm. No IT officials spoke to the media. Shah, a member of the trustee board at the Bhawanipore Education Society, which runs a college, proposed Banerjee’s candidature as a representative of the Gujarati community. While there was no official communication from the IT department, sources said that the central agency searched Kumar’s residence, office and of his relative’s residence in connection with a case dealing with some illegal land grabbing.“I think you should ask them why they came here and what they got after the search. If they provide documents, I will also provide. I think the margin of my victory in the polls will rise. I would thank the officers. They behaved very well. There wasn’t any problem. It is only that I had to suspend my campaigning during the day,” Kumar told reporters in the evening. Slamming the raids during an election rally in West Burdwan’s Durgapur, Mamata Banerjee said: “Unable to counter me politically, they have started IT raids at homes of my party leaders. They are cowards. But none of this will help the BJP.”TMC spokesperson Jay Prakash Majumdar questioned the timing of the raids. “Elections are at the doorsteps. [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi and [Union home minister Amit] Shah have brought with them all the central agencies, ECI [Election Commission of India], and central forces. What they do not have is the people’s support.”TMC workers stage protestTMC workers also staged a protest against the raids outside Kumar’s office and Saha’s residence. Kumar, a lawmaker in the outgoing assembly, is also a Kolkata Municipal Corporation mayor-in-council member.Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rahul Sinha hit back at the TMC, accusing Kumar of receiving kickbacks for an illegal land deal. “The entire party [TMC) is corrupt. Bengal wants corrupt leaders to be behind bars. All they want is to catch thieves and fill up the jails,” he said. TMC state vice-president Jay Prakash Majumdar said, “Meraj Sah has been targeted by the BJP just because he proposed Mamata Banerjee’s candidature. BJP has pulled Bengal’s politics down to this level.”Bengal BJP’s chief spokesperson Debjit Sarker countered the allegation. “The IT department has nothing to do with elections or the BJP. They conduct their operations independently. If TMC has any problem with the raid then it can move court,” said Sarkar. Polling in Rashbehari and Bhabanipur will be held on April 29.