Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee made allegations on Sunday, claiming that a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, former Asansol Mayor Jitendra Tiwari, had a meeting with National Investigation Agency (NIA) SP Dhan Ram Singh a day before the agency sent notices to TMC leaders on March 27.
Speaking at a public meeting in West Midnapore, TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee asserted that Jitendra Tiwari's meeting with NIA SP Dhan Ram Singh took place on March 26, just one day before the agency initiated sending notices to TMC leaders in East and West Midnapore.
Banerjee further alleged that this meeting indicated a "major conspiracy" against TMC leaders orchestrated by the BJP.
He challenged Jitendra Tiwari to expedite sending any notice, promising to release CCTV footage to counter any allegations.
Abhishek Banerjee's claims prompted a response from the NIA, which issued a press release refuting any suggestion of impropriety in its actions against TMC leaders, asserting that its actions were lawful and part of an ongoing investigation into a bomb blast case.
Banerjee, however, persisted, urging the NIA to clarify whether the meeting between Jitendra Tiwari and NIA SP Dhan Ram Singh did indeed occur on March 26, during the period of the Model Code of Conduct.
He also mentioned information suggesting that Tiwari arrived with a parcel and left empty-handed after 52 minutes.
These developments occurred a day after an NIA team was attacked during a raid in East Medinipur district, where an officer was injured and the agency's vehicle vandalized.
Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose commented on the incident, attributing the violence to an "unholy nexus" between politicians, bureaucrats, and criminals in certain areas, where lawlessness prevails.
