Abhishek Banerjee accuses BJP govt in Bengal of ‘political intimidation’

Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday launched a blistering attack on the BJP government in West Bengal, alleging that state investigative agencies were being used to intimidate his associates and manufacture a case against him.

In a strongly worded post on X, Banerjee claimed that nearly 25 people linked to his office or associated with him had been abruptly detained or summoned by the Special Task Force (STF) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over the past few weeks without due legal process.

"Over the past couple of weeks, STF/CID @WBPolice has, without proper notice and in violation of basic legal safeguards, abruptly summoned or randomly picked up nearly 25 people connected to my office or associated with me... They are being intimidated, threatened and pressured to give false statements against me," Banerjee wrote.

He further alleged that phones were being tapped and family members, including women, were being harassed.

"This is political intimidation at its worst... Do what you can. I will not bow down till my last breath," he said, accusing the BJP government of weaponising state agencies against political opponents.

Banerjee also targeted the BJP leadership, alleging that a government "whose own chief minister was caught on camera allegedly taking bribes" was now attempting to silence the Opposition through coercive tactics.

The remarks mark a sharp escalation in West Bengal's political confrontation following the 2026 assembly elections, which ended the TMC's 15-year rule and brought the BJP to power in the state.

The allegations come amid mounting legal and political pressure on the TMC leader. The Calcutta High Court recently directed Banerjee to appear before the CID in connection with a signature forgery probe, a direction he complied with. Separately, an FIR was registered against him after his security personnel were allegedly seen travelling on the footrests of vehicles in his convoy.

Banerjee has also cited a series of recent security concerns, including a stone-pelting incident at his residence that damaged windows and the alleged presence of an armed individual outside Kolkata airport during one of his arrivals.

The BJP government has rejected the allegations of political vendetta, maintaining that law enforcement agencies are acting independently to ensure accountability after years of alleged corruption under the previous TMC regime.

Senior BJP leaders, including state president Samik Bhattacharya, have defended the ongoing investigations, insisting that police are performing their duties without political interference. The ruling party has also argued that public anger against former TMC leaders reflects "spontaneous public blowback" rather than any state-sponsored campaign.

The political face-off comes as the BJP government pushes a tougher law-and-order agenda, including the recently passed Anti-Goonda Bill, which provides for preventive detention to tackle organised crime, public disorder and post-poll violence.

With IANS inputs