Oppn backs Mamata, calls CBI action mala fide

 ​New Delhi: The dharna taken up by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in protest against the manner in which the Centre was working against the federal spirit and misusing the central agencies got huge support from all non-BJP parties, including the Congress. The issue came up for discussion on Monday evening at a special meeting of these leaders after submitting a memorandum to the Election Commission opposing the use of EVMs.

Speaking to the media, Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar said, “This is not a simple issue. It is something that pertains to the future of the nation. We will discuss the issue in depth and workout a collective strategy,” he added. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said all the leaders condemned the Kolkata incident. 

He said the Centre was trying to trespass into the rights of the state governments and was targeting all those who oppose the BJP ahead of the general election.  Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the Modi government had got his house raided and the sleuths even entered his bedroom and kitchen. They had also harassed the Chief Secretary. 

People of Delhi have been suffering this kind of vindictive attitude of the BJP government and how it has spread to other states as well. He said he will go to Kolkata after the vote on account was presented on Tuesday to extend his solidarity with her.

Earlier in Amaravati, Naidu addressing the party workers in a teleconference said the NDA government was working against the spirit of federalism and was trying to harass the state governments which refused to fall in line with Modi’s ideology. He said the Centre has been misusing the central investigative agencies and was indulging in politics of vendetta.

Naidu said the Modi government was reopening old cases against Opposition leaders on the eve of elections. It was trying to create constitutional crisis in certain states to create panic and spread misinformation that they were deep in corruption. He said this was a bad precedence and goes against the spirit of democracy.

Court cases are being lifted for those submitting to the BJP, but new cases are being slapped on those opposing the BJP... Recently, cases have been slapped on Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati and now action against Mamata Banerjee...BJP gets happiness after opening new cases against all Opposition leaders," he added. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray said, "We applaud and support the stand taken by Banerjee against the autocracy and tyranny of the Central government. 

We firmly stand behind her and the fight against this tyranny." The Left parties, however, said while the Centre is misusing the CBI, Mamata Banerjee is trying to shield the corrupt in the scams and both are "sabotaging" the probe in the process.

The ruling BJD in Odisha also backed Banerjee, saying that the federal probe agency was being "used as a political weapon" ahead of the general elections. DMK president MK Stalin nominated his sister and Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi to meet Banerjee in Kolkata and extend support.

Deftly side-stepping queries on the face-off between the West Bengal government and the Centre, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said "anything" can happen in the country until the Lok Sabha elections are announced but ruled out the possibility of the Modi government making an attempt to dislodge Banerjee from power.