West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party for alleged assassination attempt on Trinamool Congress national general secretary and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee amid the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. She claimed someone from the BJP tried to kill Abhishek and had threatened him about a bomb explosion.
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari had recently said that there would be a “big explosion on Monday which will shake the TMC and its top brass”.
Addressing an election rally, Mamata said, “One of the Gaddars (traitors) in the BJP said that a bomb will be exploded. If you have a grudge against me you can kill me by a bomb.”
She also claimed that the BJP tried to kill Abhishek, but the TMC got to know about it in advance.
“They even conducted a recce at his house, called him on Facetime and asked for an appointment. Had Abhishek given him time, he would have shot and fled,” she claimed.
The Bengal CM also alleged that the BJP would kill or put behind bars those who speak against them.
“These people want to kill everyone or put them behind bars who speak against them. If you were confident that you would win with peoples’ votes, then what was the need to terrorise people?” she said.
Both Mamata and Abhishek are covered by Z-plus security.
On Monday, Kolkata Police Special Task Force and the detective department arrested a person from Mumbai for purportedly conducting recce around the residence and offices of Abhishek.
The person was identified as Rajaram Rege and is said to be linked to a political party in Maharashtra.
Additional Commissioner of Police Murlidhar Sharma claimed that Rege had met the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack prime accused David Headley earlier.
“It (the recce) is an indication that something similar to 26/11 could have happened. There could be a big conspiracy. We have to check whether there is any such plan or not,” Sharma said.
He stayed in Kolkata between April 18 and 20, a police officer said adding that the documents that Rege used to check in at the hotel are being examined.
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Published: 23 Apr 2024, 05:50 PM IST