The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday carried out searches at 12 locations, including at the residences of senior West Bengal Minister Firhad Hakim and TMC MLA Madan Mitra, in West Bengal. The searches were conducted in connection with alleged irregularities in recruitments made by civic bodies in the state. A team of CBI officers reached the minister of urban development and municipal affairs' residence in south Kolkata's Chetla area along with a large contingent of central forces.
Hakim, who is also the mayor of Kolkata, has significant sway in ruling TMC.
"Two CBI officers are questioning him," a senior official said. His supporters gathered outside his house and staged a protest against the CBI searches.
CBI action against TMC MLA Madan Mitra
The CBI officals also searched Mitra's residence located around 3 km from Hakim's residence in Chetla. He is an MLA of Kamarhati in North 24 Parganas district.
A CBI spokesperson said," the CBI teams today conducted searches around 12 places, including at Kolkata, Kanchrapara, Barrackpore, Halisahar, Dumdum, North Dum Dum, Krishnanagar, Taki, Kamarhati, Chetla, Bhowanipore etc. at the premises of certain persons, including public servants in, an ongoing investigation of a case."
Two premises each of Hakim and Mitra are being searched in the operation, officials said in New Delhi.
TMC's reaction
Trinamool Congress said it (the CBI search) was a desperate attempt to divert attention from its ongoing demonstration outside the Raj Bhavan over demands of central funds.
TMC MP Sougata Roy slammed the BJP, saying the saffron party appears to be sensing a growing public discontent, and they are using every means at their disposal to change the narrative. He alleged this is a clear example of vendetta politics.
BJP hits back at TMC
Rejecting the allegations, BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya asked if the TMC had nothing to hide, and why were they afraid of ED and CBI.
"Whenever TMC leaders are summoned by the ED or CBI, they cry foul and accuse the agencies of being politically motivated. Yet, the reality is that the TMC is deeply mired in corruption with nearly every leader facing some allegation or the other," he claimed.
(With PTI inputs)
