TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday accused investigating agencies of selectively targeting him through multiple cases, alleging that West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari was never summoned for questioning in the Narada sting case despite being seen allegedly accepting money in the footage.
Speaking to reporters outside his residence after nearly four hours of police questioning, Banerjee said he had cooperated with every investigation and never evaded summons.
"In the last five years, no one saw Suvendu Adhikari, when he was the Leader of the Opposition, appear at a police station or before the CBI in connection with the Narada case, despite the allegations of accepting money, as he was protected by the high court," he said.
"There is nothing against me, yet I am repeatedly being summoned in various false cases," he alleged.
Banerjee was questioned at Bhowanipore police station in connection with an FIR over a social media post allegedly targeting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Gujarati community.
The FIR, registered on May 27, alleged that he had described the CEC as a "puppet of the anti-Bengali Gujarati gang", with the remarks potentially affecting communal harmony and national integrity.
Defending his remarks, the TMC leader said he had responded to a social media post by BJP leader Amit Malviya, who he alleged had questioned the status of Bengali as a language and described it as a "Bangladeshi" language.
"I have tweeted, quoting his post. I have given my justification on who the 'Gujarati gang' are to the officers," he said.
He also accused the BJP of being anti-Bengali, citing the vandalism of a statue of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar in Kolkata and alleged remarks by its leaders questioning the Bengali language.
Banerjee further alleged that the Centre had withheld funds meant for West Bengal under the housing, rural employment and rural roads schemes for the past five years, while releasing funds to other states.
Referring to the bulldozer drive outside his Kalighat residence earlier this week, Banerjee said he had no objection to the removal of government-built structures, including a police camp, but maintained that a memorial at the site should have been spared.
He also urged the administration not to remove street vendors whose livelihoods depended on the stalls they had set up along the footpath.
"I am not from the BJP, but I request that those sitting here not be removed, as their livelihood depends on this. If you want to run a bulldozer, run it over me, not over the poor," he said.
Alleging political vendetta, Banerjee said the government was using police cases and demolition drives against him because it could not challenge him politically.
"You cannot fight politically, so sometimes it is a bulldozer, sometimes a police case, sometimes a false case," he said.
He added that he had appeared before the Shakespeare Sarani police, the CID, the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI whenever summoned, and would continue to cooperate with investigations.
"I respect the law of the land. I am going as per the high court's direction and have answered all their questions. I will go in future too if they call me, and cooperate to the best of my ability," he said.
(With inputs from PTI)