Mamata Banerjee Accuses NIA Of Attacking Villagers In Bengal, BJP Hits Back

A fresh political row has erupted in West Bengal after a vehicle carrying National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials was attacked by villagers at Bhupatinagar in East Midnapore district. The NIA team had gone to investigate a 2022 bomb blast case in which three persons were killed. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee accused NIA officials of attacking villagers at Bhupatinagar, contrary to initial reports.

Mamata Banerjee alleged that the NIA team had visited the houses of villagers in the early hours over an incident of "bursting of crackers in 2022".

"The attack was not carried out by women of Bhupatinagar, it was by the National Investigation Agency (NIA)," news agency PTI quoted Mamata Banerjee as saying at an election rally in South Dinajpur district's Balurghat.

The BJP responded strongly to Mamata Banerjee's accusations, with BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya criticizing the lawlessness in West Bengal under her leadership. Malviya highlighted recent attacks on central agencies like the NIA and alleged TMC's protection of criminals in the state.

The duo, Balai Charan Maity and Manobrata Jana, were arrested after extensive searches in connection with the Bhupatinagar blast. The NIA team faced resistance from a crowd of local residents during the operation, resulting in minor injuries to one team member and damage to their vehicle.

"The aggressive crowd tried to stop the NIA team and its security component from moving towards Bhupatinagar police station to complete the arrest formalities. NIA has lodged a complaint at the local police station in this regard," said the NIA in a statement.