West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Sunday alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jitendra Tiwari met the National Investigation Agency (BJP)’s Kolkata-based superintendent Dhan Ram Singh at the latter’s residence on March 26 and handed a list of TMC leaders who should be arrested before the Lok Sabha polls.
At a press conference in Kolkata, TMC general secretary Kunal Ghosh and minister of state for finance Chandrima Bhattacharya alleged that the NIA is being used by the BJP to arrest TMC’s election managers in the districts when the model code of conduct is in force.
The TMC leaders said that while entering a housing complex at New Town, where Singh lives according to their claim, Tiwari carried a white envelope which contained money.
“It will be a blunder to think that Saturday’s NIA raid at Bhupatinagar in East Midnapore, where two local TMC leaders were arrested, was part of an investigation. As chief minister Mamata Banerjee said yesterday, NIA is acting under instructions from the BJP. On March 26, Jitendra Tiwari met NIA SP Dhan Ram Singh at the latter’s flat and handed a list of TMC leaders BJP wants arrested before the elections. We are alleging that Tiwari carried cash in a white envelope,” said Ghosh.
Bengal has been witnessing a political row since Saturday because the NIA, while raiding the homes of several TMC leaders at Bhupatinagar in connection with a December 2022 blast at a TMC leader’s house, was allegedly attacked by local women. One of the NIA officers suffered a minor injury, and the windshield of a car was damaged. NIA lodged a police complaint regarding the alleged attack. Local people lodged a counter complaint, accusing NIA of making unlawful entry and molesting women.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has sought a report from the state government on the attack. West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose has sought a report as well.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted the TMC on Sunday while addressing voters at Jalpaiguri in north Bengal.
“When federal agencies come, the TMC attacks their teams. The TMC wants to slaughter law and order,” said Modi.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee countered Modi from her rally in Purulia district.
“It has been brought to my notice that NIA is visiting hotels in Purulia as well to inquire which political party has booked rooms. Is it NIA’s job?” she said.
While addressing the media in Kolkata, Ghosh said: “Tiwari met Singh in his flat. While entering the complex, Singh signed the visitor’s log. He identified himself as J K Tiwari. The address he gave is Saraswati Niketan, 5 Camac Street, where his daughter lives in Kolkata,” Ghosh said.
“He entered the premises at 6.30pm and left at 7.22pm. If anyone challenges this, we will release security camera footage in 48 hours,” said Ghosh.
Till December 2020, Tiwari was a TMC leader at Asansol in the West Burdwan district. He was a legislator and the mayor of Asansol. He joined the BJP alongside TMC leader Suvendu Adhikari, who is now leader of the Opposition in the Bengal legislative assembly.
The TMC released copies of the visitors’ logbook, the lease agreement for Singh’s flat and a copy of a statement NIA released in 2017 when he was awarded the President’s medal on Republic Day. It said Singh was part of counter-intelligence operations in Jammu and Kashmir, the North-East and Maoist infested areas.
Responding to the allegations, Tiwari said, “Those making the allegation should prove it in seven days. Or else, I will file a defamation suit against them.”
BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar defended Tiwari.
“Any citizen can meet an NIA officer at any point of time and share information about terrorist activities. I can arrange an appointment if TMC leaders want to meet NIA officers. The BJP does not need NIA’s help to defeat the TMC. This is a bogus allegation. Anybody could have entered the housing complex and put Tiwari’s name in the logbook. Also, there are more than 200 flats in that complex. How can someone say which flat a visitor is going to?” Majumdar said.
HT contacted the NIA Kolkata branch for official reaction but till 6pm it did not make any statement on the specific allegation against Singh.
The NIA said Saturday’s raid was carried out as part of the investigation ordered by the Calcutta high court (in 2022) and the allegations of forceful entry and molestation lodged against the agency were motivated.
Kunal Ghosh said: “We have learnt that Singh has connections with some important people in the Union home ministry. We want to ask the ECI how Tiwari could visit an NIA SP after the model code of conduct came into force. A first information report (FIR) must be filed. Locations of their phones on March 26 should be traced and calls made from these phones between 6.30pm and 7.22pm be examined.”
Chandrima Bhattacharya referred to Saturday’s raid in which two TMC leaders, Manobrata Jana and Balai Chandra Maity, were arrested in connection with the December 2022 blast at TMC leader Rajkumar Manna’s home. Manna and party workers Biswajit Gayen and Buddhadeb Manna were killed in the explosion.
BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari moved the Calcutta high court demanding the NIA probe.
The NIA raided the homes of three more local TMC leaders, Subir Maiti, Manab Kumar Parua and Naba Kumar Panda, but they were not home. All three have been summoned to the NIA office on Monday.
Bhattacharya said: “The BJP provided these names to the NIA for political reasons. This is part of a bigger conspiracy. These raids are being conducted to create panic among ground level workers of the TMC so that the BJP benefits in the elections. The incident happened in December 2022. Why was the NIA waiting till April 2024 when the model code for elections is in force?”
“Were there women officers in the NIA team that entered the village? The local police were informed at 5.45pm. The Election Commission (EC) has changed the state’s director general of police (DGP) thrice in 48 hours in the name of transparency. In that case why should EC not order a probe into the meeting between Tiwari and Singh?” Bhattacharya added.
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