I have EC’s TMC ‘arrest’ list, will fight each case: CM Mamata Banerjee amid Bengal assembly polls

KOLKATA: "I have the list," CM Mamata Banerjee said on Monday, referring to a list of Trinamool Congress workers to be "arrested ahead of the assembly elections", and vowed to "fight every such case in court".

Speaking at a poll rally at Murarai in Birbhum, Banerjee said the "list" was circulating in the market, highlighting how only Trinamool was being targeted. "Are all Trinamool workers thieves and all BJP workers saints?" she asked.



"They have planned to arrest many people before elections but we will fight each case," the CM said, her words coming in the backdrop of her repeated warning to TMC workers over the last few days that they may get arrested by central agencies.

Coinciding with this, TMC MP and senior lawyer Kalyan Banerjee filed a PIL in Calcutta High Court, alleging that a long list of Trinamool "heavyweight" names for "pre-emptive detention or arrest" was doing the rounds as "troublemakers" in the internal communications of EC-appointed police and general observers.

Banerjee mentioned the matter before a division bench led by Chief Justice Sujoy Paul. The PIL was filed by lawyer Md Danish Farooqui.

Farooqui cited "credible and independent sources" to allege that the list of "troublemakers" included names of Trinamool workers, netas, office-bearers, elected TMC representatives in assembly and Parliament, municipal corporation councilors and zilla parishad and panchayat samiti members.

"The objective behind this directive appears to be the pre-emptive removal of these individuals, irrespective of whether there are any pending criminal proceedings or established grounds under law for such drastic action," Farooqui said in the petition.

At her other rallies of the day, Banerjee reiterated the charge that BJP was trying to arrest TMC workers and filing false cases. "Some people are here, they are operating everything. They have made a big list of which Trinamool workers to arrest and which false cases to file. People will give their answer through the ballot box," she said in Khardah.

In Beliaghata, the CM detailed how TMC candidates were being prevented from campaigning and charge sheets were being filed against party workers.

"They are raiding houses and telling lies. BJP's ministers are all thieves, dacoits, traitors and bandits, they oppress women. They are saying arrest all Trinamool people with false cases. Don't think that we are not keeping a watch. Those who are doing this, I am collecting everyone's names, addresses and phone numbers," she said.

Banerjee alleged that BJP has brought a whole machinery of outside agencies, including the military, in Bengal for pressuring the administration. "All officers from Bengal have been sent outside and they have brought in people from Haryana, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tripura and Assam," she said.

Saying that Bengal will take "revenge" for this "oppression", the CM said: "Yes, somewhere mistakes can happen. But they have come to capture votes. Have you ever heard of bringing the military for elections? By any means, you want to capture Bengal. Bring your guns, I will see how much power you have. Don't try to scare Bengal."

Banerjee summed up the issue at the last public meeting of the day near Shakespeare Sarani police station: "They are resorting to oppression during election time. Oppression from ED, CBI, income tax... It is necessary to raise our voice against this injustice."
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