Mamata Banerjee's dharna enters third day, Supreme Court to hear CBI plea today
New Delhi/Kolkata, Feb 5 (BNS): As West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's dharna (sit-in protest) against Central Bureau of Investigation's move against Rajeev Kumar enters its third day, the Supreme Court will take up the central probe agency's plea against the Kolkata Police chief on Tuesday.
The case is scheduled to be heard at around 10.30 am.
The central investigating agency on Monday moved the Supreme Court against the state government over its "non-cooperation".
The Supreme Court has asked the probe agency to produce evidence proving Kumar's alleged attempt to tamper evidence in the chit fund scams.
Demanding evidence, the top court said as quoted in media: "If Kolkata Police Commissioner even remotely thinks of destroying evidence, bring the material before this Court. We will come down so heavily on him that he will regret."
The Calcutta High Court on Monday refused to hear immediately the West Bengal government's petition against the attempt by CBI to interrogate the Kolkata police commissioner.
The decision was taken by Justice Shivakant Prasad following an objection by the Centre.
The matter will be taken up on Tuesday.
Monday's development:
With weeks to go for the General Elections, several opposition leaders came together in support of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is continuing her "sit-in protest" (dharna) over CBI's move against Kolkata Police Commissioner, Rajeev Kumar, accused of tampering evidences of several chit-fund scams.
Banerjee, who began dharna on Sunday evening reminding her days as an opposition leader in West Bengal, targeted BJP, which rules the Centre, of using the federal probe agency to disrupt democracy.
The day two of dharna was mainly about the visits of prominent opposition leaders, DMK's Kanimozhi and RJD chief Tejashwi Yadav, whose father and former Bihar Chief Minister, Lalu Prasad, who is serving a jail term in several fodder scam cases.
Tejashwi, who appeared in the dharna stage late in the evening, accused the BJP of "political conspiracy".
"Modi and BJP are harassing all opposition leaders. It is a political conspiracy. Prime Minister will come and go but the constitution will remain, said the young RJD leader.
DMK leader Kanimozhi, who was accused in a 2G scam case but later got acquitted, gave a message of opposition unity. "All opposition parties are united. DMK supports Mamata," daughter of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi said.
The Banerjee-CBI-BJP tussle was not restricted to Kolkata only but spilled over to the national capital.
Amid disruptions in the parliament proceedings over TMC MPs protests against the saffron party, anti-BJP leaders like Sharad Pawar, Arvind Kejriwal, Farooq Abdullah held a meeting in New Delhi over the West Bengal Chief Minister's unprecedented move against the CBI.
BJP hits back:
Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday once again targeted opposition leaders and called them 'an alliance of corrupts' after several of them extended their support to the West Bengal Chief Minister.
Backdrop of the protest:
The political development took place on Sunday after CBI officials went to Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar's house to quiz him over his alleged involvement in chit fund scams.
When the CBI officials reached Kumar's residence, they were whisked away by Kolkata police officers.
Image Credit: Avishek Mitra/IBNS
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