TMC Alleges BJP Conspiracy, Moves EC Against CBI Raid During Lok Sabha Polls

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) lodged a complaint with the Election Commission (EC) on Saturday, condemning the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) raid at the premises of an alleged associate of Sandeshkhali accused Shajahan Sheikh.

The party asserted that the CBI's actions were a deliberate attempt to tarnish their image during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Additionally, in response to the recovery of weapons, the TMC accused the BJP of colluding with the CBI and National Security Guard (NSG) in a conspiracy.

The TMC's letter highlighted that during the voting in three Parliamentary Constituencies in West Bengal - Darjeeling, Raiganj, and Balurghat - the CBI conducted a raid at an empty location in Sandeshkhali. Media reports indicated that the CBI deployed additional forces, including the NSG bomb squad, for the operation. The letter also mentioned the recovery of arms and ammunition during the raid.

The TMC claimed that the CBI did not inform the state government or the police before conducting the raid. They criticised the CBI for bringing a bomb squad for the raid, despite the state police having a fully functional bomb disposal unit.

The party also accused the CBI of pre-informing the media about the raid. They found it astonishing that media personnel were present during the raid even before the state administration arrived, leading to nationwide news about the recovery of weapons. The TMC questioned whether these weapons were genuinely recovered during the raid or if they were planted by the CBI/NSG.

Accusing the CBI of attempting to tarnish its image amid the elections, the TMC stated that the CBI had used the media to spread rumors about the person being a TMC supporter. They alleged that the BJP had weaponized the Central investigating agencies, including the CBI, to carry out a smear campaign against the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) to influence voters in its favor.

The TMC alleged a BJP conspiracy behind the raid and accused the CBI and NSG of planting the recovered weapons. They reiterated that without any representative of the state government present, the purported recovery of arms and ammunition could be a ploy by the BJP, in collusion with the CBI and NSG, to plant such weapons at the site.

What had CBI recovered in Sandeshkhali raid?
The CBI on Friday seized arms and ammunition, including a police service revolver and foreign-made firearms, during searches at two premises of an associate of now-suspended TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali, officials said.
The searches were conducted in connection with the January attack on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team by a mob that was allegedly instigated by Sheikh, who was arrested by the West Bengal Police on February 29 in the case.