West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah is interfering in the work of the Election Commission of India (ECI). Speaking at a public meeting in Bankura’s Chhatna, Banerjee said: “With respect to the EC, let me ask who is running the organisation? Is it Amit Shah? I suspect he is controlling things.”
He said that Shah was “conspiring” while sitting in Kolkata, and instructing “who should be arrested and who should be threatened”. She said that Shah was sending instructions to the ECI and those were being carried out.
Banerjee said notices were being sent to those who had participated in the Nandigram agitation. In two meetings of Bankura district, Banerjee pointed out that bureaucrats and politicians are being threatened and harassed by Central government agencies, now that the elections are scheduled ahead. “Should these things be done now? Even the state Home Secretary was served with a notice from the CBI yesterday,” Banerjee said at the meeting. She mentioned that even the officer in charge of her security had been transferred.
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The Trinamool chief alleged that people were being offered Rs 500 to attend BJP’s meetings. Banerjee warned that more cash would be distributed close to the elections, and said that such wrongs should be responded to by the people through their votes.
