Mamata calls TN Chief Secretary raid 'vindictive', attack on federal structure

Mamata Banerjee called the raid as 'vindictive' and dared the I-T department to conduct similar raid on BJP President Amit Shah's residence.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee (File|PTI)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee (File|PTI)

KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister is leaving no stone unturned to hit out at the Centre, grabbing every opportunity to lash out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the demonetisation plank and Centre's apparent policies to curb black money.

Lahing out at the Centre on the Income Tax raid on the residence of Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Rama Mohan Rao in Chennai on Wednesday, Mamata Banerjee called the raid as 'vindictive' and dared the I-T department to conduct similar raid on BJP President Amit Shah's residence.

"Why this vindictive, unethical, technically improper action? Is it only to disturb the federal structure?," she tweeted.

"Earlier the Principal Secretary of @ArvindKejriwal was raided and harassed. Now I read Chief Secretary TN also raided," she tweeted, adding "Why don't they raid Amit Shah and others who are collecting money?"

Calling the raid as an attack on federal structure, she wrote: "While corruption needs to be condemned strongly, raid on TN Chief Sec by Central agencies devalues institution of head of civil service...The proper procedure should have been to take the State leadership into confidence and removing him from the post prior to any preemptive action, based on information."

'Either Modi will stay or Indians will'

At a public rally in Kolaghat in Purba Medinipur district, the West Bengal Chief Minister called Prime Minister Narendra Modi as 'biggest thief' and that either he will live in India or Indians will.

Speaking at the public meet on Wednesday, Mamata Banerjee alleged that the state governments are being weakened through flawed policies of the Centre.

"I will call Modi a thief a thousand times. If he can, he may arrest me and put me in jail," she said.

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