BJP office in Kolkata attacked, Mamata Banerjee warns: We have government too

Read | Rose Valley: Murky scheme, high-profile arrests

WATCH VIDEO | Rose Valley Chit Fund Scam: Mamata Banerjee Slams PM Modi After TMC MP Sudip Bandopadhyay’s Arrest 

Sources said Banerjee received two phone calls from Congress leader Ahmed Patel. In the first call, sources said, Patel inquired about the situation and in the second call, assured her that she would have the full support of the Congress.

Read | Sudip Bandyopadhyay arrest hits both party and Opposition unity

Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, she told reporters she had “information” that “other TMC leaders like Abhishek Banerjee, Sovan Chatterjee (city mayor) and Firhad Hakim (minister)” will also be arrested soon.

She said she was “not scared” of the Centre and alleged that the CBI, Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax department were being used against her and her party because she had spoken out against demonetisation. “I am shocked, but not scared. Let him (PM) arrest all of us. I openly challenge him to arrest me.”

Soon after Bandyopadhyay’s arrest, Banerjee called an emergency meeting at the TMC office and told her leaders that “no matter what happens, the party will not back down”.

“The party is behind Sudip. He has not done anything wrong. Even if he is in jail, he will be in the hearts of the people of Bengal,” she said. Referring to the Rose Valley scandal, she said it was the duty of the Centre, Sebi and RBI to keep a check on ponzi schemes but they “failed completely”.

Bandyopadhyay’s arrest led to violent clashes at the state BJP headquarters which came under attack, allegedly by the TMC student wing.

Members of both parties were injured in the clashes. A police officer said: “We had cordoned off the party office. The BJP has alleged bricks and bottles were thrown.”

Another protest took place at the CGO complex where Bandyopadhyay had been kept after he was placed under arrest.

TMC leaders Derek O’Brien, Sovan Chatterjee, Partha Chatterjee and Firhad Hakim were present there. Partha Chatterjee said, “We met him. He is well. But this doesn’t mean that our protests will stop. Beginning tomorrow, the protests against demonetisation will be reinvigorated.”