Modi-Shah duo ‘murdering’ democracy: Kejriwal

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Monday slammed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP chief Amit Shah over developments in West Bengal, saying they needed to be defeated in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls “to save democracy” in the country.

In a statement, Kejriwal said, “The Modi government is bent on murdering democracy. Isn't it illegal and undemocratic that a team of 40 CBI officials enters the residence of a police commissioner? The Modi-Shah duo should be defeated to save the democracy,” he said.

Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari hits back at Kejriwal saying he should not talk about democracy because he has “robbed” it through his “falsehoods and conspiracies” in the city. Tiwari said that leaders like Mamata Banerjee and Kejriwal were “betraying” democracy by going against the directives of courts.

“The CBI went to West Bengal on directions of the Supreme Court. Leaders like Kejriwal are supporting Mamata Banerjee because they are scared of Modi who is dedicated to end corruption,” he claimed.

The failed attempt by the CBI to question Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar in connection with the Saradha and Rose Valley chit fund scams on Sunday became the latest flashpoint between the BJP-led Centre and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, one of its bitter critics.

Kejriwal had talked to Banerjee on Sunday over phone as the incident blew into a political slugfest and expressed solidarity with her while terming the action as “completely bizarre and anti-democratic”.

The AAP convener, who himself is a bitter critic of the Modi government and has been engaged in a pitched battle with it over governance-related issues, in his statement on Monday drew a parallel between the West Bengal incident and experiences of his own government in Delhi.

“Just as Modiji tried to besiege the Commissioner of West Bengal on Sunday, four years ago he snatched away the anti-corruption bureau from us by sending paramilitary forces,” he charged.

He further alleged the Prime Minister got 33 cases registered against him (Kejriwal) and police raided his residence and searched his bedroom on his (Modi’s) instance. “It is an attack on the federal structure of the country,” he claimed.

The state governments are elected by the people and they have their constitutional rights, he said. “If Modi ji misuses Central agencies to violate the rights of the state governments, the country will not survive,” Kejriwal said.

The CBI team was physically prevented from entering the residence of Kumar by Kolkata police personnel and detained.