"Law and order deteriorating in West Bengal," says Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury days after attack on probe agency
Jan 06, 2024
Murshidabad (West Bengal) [India], January 6 : Lashing out at the ruling Trinamool Congress government following an attack on an Enforcement Directorate team in West Bengal two days ago, West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleged that the law and order situation is "deteriorating" in the state.
The Congress leader said that the attack on the officials of the probe agency allegedly "proves that there is an unholy alliance" between the state government and the police force.
At a press conference on Saturday, the Congress leader said, "Nowhere in India does an incident occur like what happened in Sandeshkhali (village). The Thursday incident was an example of hooliganism, which proves the relationship between the ruling party and the police force in the state. This unholy relationship is reflected through this incident."
"The law and order situation is deteriorating day after day but the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party in the state is silent...A concrete step is the need of the hour but it is not being done...," he added.
On Thursday night, an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team was attacked and its vehicles damaged in Sandeshkhali village of North 24 Parganas in West Bengal when it tried to raid the residence of block-level leaders of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in connection with an alleged ration scam case, an official of the agency said.
The ED was conducting raids at the residence of former Bongaon Municipality Chairman Shankar Adhya in Bangaon and TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan's house in connection with the alleged ration scam case.
Sheikh Shahjahan is the Fisheries and Animal Resources Officer of North 24 Parganas Zilla Parishad as well as the Block President of Sandeshkhali 1.
The Trinamool Congress leader's supporters started protesting outside the leader's residence while the raid was underway and later on, a mob attacked ED officials and vandalised their cars, according to ED officials.
Two officials of the agency sustained injuries in the incident.
A member of the raiding ED team said, "Eight people came to the spot. We three moved from the incident spot ...they attacked us."
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose visited the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials, who were attacked during their duty, at a hospital in Kolkata on Friday.
The Governor also summoned the Home Secretary and the Director General of Police (DGP) in connection with the incident.