Bengal’s image being maligned in Bengaluru cafe case: Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Saturday that there is an unnecessary attempt to malign the image of West Bengal by labelling that the state is unsafe following the arrest of two accused in the Bengaluru cafe blast case.

“An incident took place in Bengaluru. The accused were based in Karnataka. They were in East Midnapore for just two hours. Bengal Police tracked them. Now they are saying that West Bengal is unsafe and are maligning Bengal’s image as well,” the Chief Minister said while addressing an election rally at Dabgram-Phulbari in Jalpaiguri district on Saturday.

The Chief Minister said that although Trinamool Congress is contesting independently in West Bengal, she will help the INDIA bloc to form government at the Centre.

“The national scenario is different. But in West Bengal Congress and CPI(M) are equal opponents to us like BJP,” the Chief Minister said.

The Chief Minister once again said that there are attempts to blow the recent development at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district out of proportion.

“There was not a single murder committed in Sandeshkhali. Everything is normal there. We have returned everything which was taken away. Our own men stand arrested in Sandeskhali,” the Chief Minister said.

However, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested them after they escaped from Bengaluru. The arrested duo first kept hiding at different hotels in Kolkata for the first few days before going to Digha in the East Midnapore district.