All evidence will be tampered with in probe into firecracker factory explosion: West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari
Aug 30, 2023
Siliguri (West Bengal) [India], August 30 : West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that all the "evidence" will be "tampered with" by the time the police investigation into the Duttapukur firecracker factory explosion incident is complete.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Calcutta High Court dismissed a plea moved by Suvendu Adhikari seeking a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the firecracker factory explosion case.
"On our petition, the Court said it's a premature stage after investigation there's the liberty to come. Till then, all the evidence will be tampered with," Adhikari said speaking to ANI.
Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the state government has deliberately put charges under the "firecracker" section in the FIR so that the NIA cannot investigate.
"This is a case fit for NIA. However, given the section under which the FIR has been registered, the NIA does not stand a chance to investigate. To prevent the NIA, the state government has put charges under the firecracker section," the senior BJP leader said.
Justifying the need for court intervention in the case, Suvendu Adhikari said, "The central government cannot bring the NIA into the investigation as per law. So there was a need for court interference...However, the court said that it is a premature state. After investigation, the NIA has the liberty...However, till then all evidence will be tampered with."
Suvendu Adhikari, however, was optimistic that the case will be reopened after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is elected to power in the state. He alleged that the state is run by explosives.
"When the public will bring the BJP Government into the state, then the case will be reopened just like the Sikh riots and the Bhagalpur communal clash...The entire Bengal is running on explosives and every day a new explosion is taking place," the BJP leader said.
Reacting to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's statement on LPG cylinder price cut, Adhikari said, "It is not an accusation but an attempt to take the credit. It's an opportunist statement. She has destroyed Bengal. There are 2 crore unemployed youths in Bengal, no industry, no business-friendly environment, 50 lakh migrant labourers are leaving Bengal."
Earlier on Sunday, Suvendu Adhikari wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and requested him to initiate an investigation by the NIA into the Duttapukur firecracker factory explosion incident.
The Barasat district hospital informed on Sunday that a total of seven people died in the blast that occurred at an illegal firecracker manufacturing factory in Duttapukur.