Mamata Banerjee disputes CBI arms seizure in Sandeshkhali, claims lack of evidence

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has challenged the recent arms seizure conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Sandeshkhali, asserting that there is "no evidence" to support the operation. Banerjee expressed her scepticism during an election rally for Trinamool Congress's Asansol Lok Sabha candidate, Shatrughan Sinha.

Banerjee criticised the CBI's actions, alleging that the agency conducted searches without informing the state police, which raised doubts about the authenticity of the recovered items. She suggested that the seized arms and ammunition "might have been brought by officials of the central agency" and questioned the necessity of such heavy-handed investigations in the state. Banerjee remarked, "If a firecracker goes off in Bengal, the NIA, CBI, NSG are coming to investigate. It seems that a war is going on."

The CBI, on Friday, disclosed the seizure of various arms and ammunition, including a police service revolver and foreign-made firearms, during searches at two locations linked to an associate of now-suspended TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh in Sandeshkhali. These searches were part of an ongoing investigation into the January attack on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team, allegedly instigated by Sheikh.

The operation involved teams from multiple agencies, including the Central Bureau Investigation (CBI), the bomb detection squad, the National Security Guard (NSG), the central paramilitary forces, and the West Bengal Police.

Banerjee also seized the opportunity to criticise the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging that a BJP leader had stored bombs in his house near Sandeshkhali. She accused the BJP of attempting to influence the elections through nefarious means rather than addressing the basic needs of the people.

The Trinamool Congress further alleged that several people were injured in an explosion at the house of a relative of a BJP leader in the Basirhat assembly constituency. Banerjee's remarks also referenced the recent Calcutta High Court judgment on school jobs, where the court declared the recruitment process of the State Level Selection Test-2016 (SLST) in West Bengal government-sponsored and aided schools as "null and void," leading to the cancellation of all appointments made through it.