Bengal blast: Political slugfest continues over NIA probe

, Oct 9: The political blame game continued Thursday over the Oct 2 explosion in

's Burdwan district with the BJP taking out rallies demanding a NIA probe while the ruling Trinamool Congress accused the opposition of creating unrest.

Two suspected militants were killed and another injured in the explosion that occurred in a house in Khagragarh area of Burdwan. Four people have been arrested in the incident in which a terror link is suspected.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been gunning for a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and alleging cover up by the Mamata Banerjee government, took out rallies across the state including Kolkata and Burdwan.

State BJP president Rahul Sinha, heading a rally in Burdwan attributed Trinamool's "terror links" behind its opposition to an NIA probe.

"Trinamool links with (Bangladesh's) Jamaat-e Islami is well known so it is afraid that if the NIA probes the explosion, then several of its bigger leaders will be unmasked," he claimed.

Accusing the state investigating agencies of trying to cover up the probe and shield the actual perpetrators, Sinha said the Trinamool will not be able to thwart the NIA.

"Despite spending crores of money, the Trinamool could not prevent a CBI probe in the Saradha scam... it will suffer a similar fate here as well as the centre will definitely ask the NIA to probe," he claimed.

Communist Party of India-Marxist MP Mohammad Salim too slammed the Trinamool's continuous opposition to NIA.

"It's unfortunate that the Trinamool has put national security at stake for the sake of its politics. At the same time its opposition to NIA probe has made it apparent, much like the Saradha scam, they have things to hide in this case as well," he said.

Asserting his party was not opposing the NIA but rather showing confidence on state investigation agencies that are probing the incident, Trinamool secretary general Partha Chatterjee accused the opposition of creating unrest and hindering the probe.

"We are not opposed to NIA, rather we have full faith in the state police who have been doing an excellent job. By making wild allegations against the administration, the opposition is trying to weaken it and trying to destabilise the law and order," he said.

"The CPI-M, BJP and Congress are needlessly muddying the water and trying to impede the investigation in Burdwan case. There is no need for NIA probe. We have full faith on the local administration," added Chatterjee.

IANS