TMC Leaders Detained As They Protest Outside ECI Office In Delhi Over Alleged Misuse Of Central Agencies

TMC Delegation Protest: The Delhi Police on Monday detained Trinamool Congress leaders who were sitting on a protest outside the Election Commission of India office in Delhi, demanding that the chiefs of the CBI, NIA, ED, and Income Tax Department be changed.

VIDEO | TMC leaders and workers detained as they protest outside ECI office in Delhi over alleged misuse of ED, CBI and NIA by the central government. pic.twitter.com/j4ElhAJaXx

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 8, 2024

The delegation of TMC leaders, which sat on a 24-hour dharna outside the EC office, included Derek O’Brien, Dola Sen, Saket Gokhale and Sagarika Ghose. This came after the delegation met a full bench of the apex poll body over their demands. The TMC has been alleging that the central probe agencies have been targeting opposition parties at the behest of the BJP-led Centre.

Speaking to reporters at the Kolkata airport before leaving for New Delhi, Sen said, “The BJP is misusing central agencies against us. The way NIA, ED and CBI are working and targeting TMC leaders is shameful. We would request the EC to ensure a level playing field for all political parties,” as quoted by PTI.  

Speaking to reporters during the protest, Sagarika Ghose said, “We have been protesting against the manner in which the central agencies – ED, CBI, IT, NIA – are acting on behalf of the BJP in the general elections of 2024. We have just met the full bench of the Election Commission, and we have demanded that the Election Commission urgently intervene and protect the sanctity of the election process,” as quoted by PTI.

VIDEO | Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Here’s what TMC leader Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) said on the TMC leaders’ protest outside the ECI office in Delhi over the alleged misuse of ED, CBI, and NIA by the central government.

“We have been protesting against the manner in which… pic.twitter.com/By0Da8RJeF

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 8, 2024

The TMC alleged on Sunday an “unholy alliance” between the NIA and the BJP ahead of elections, prompting the central investigating agency to deny any mala fide intention and label the entire controversy as “unfortunate”.

Last week on Satuday, a team of the NIA was allegedly attacked by a mob when it went to arrest two main suspects in a 2022 blast case in West Bengal’s Purba Medinipur district, sparking a political slugfest with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accusing the investigators of assaulting the villagers.