CBI Vs Kolkata Police: Kejriwal, Lalu, Naidu express 'solidarity' as Mamata Banerjee sits on a dharna in Kolkata

Kejriwal said he spoke to Banerjee and 'expressed solidarity' with her.

"Spoke to Mamta didi and expressed solidarity. Modi-Shah duo’s action is completely bizarre and anti-democracy," Kejriwal tweeted.

Naidu, who has been meeting several opposition leaders in recent times in a bid to create an alliance of the opposition leaders ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, also came out in supporting Banerjee and tweeted: "After opposition parties started uniting and started to fight together to save democracy, the Modi led BJP is losing all hope. The misuse of institutions by the union government to victimize political opponents in States is reaching dangerous proportions."

He said: "We strongly condemn the incidents happening in Kolkata, a glaring example of how Modi-Shah duo are destroying the institutions. Attacking political opponents in different States, few days before the Parliament elections commence, will have disastrous consequences in the country."

Ex-Bihar CM and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav also extended his support to Mamata Banerjee and tweeted in Hindi: " देश का आम आवाम भाजपा और उसकी गठबंधन सहयोगी पक्षपाती CBI के ख़िलाफ़ है। हम @MamataOfficial जी के साथ खड़े है। तानाशाही का नंगा नाच हो रहा है। लोकतंत्र पर सबसे बड़ा ख़तरा। संविधान और संवैधानिक संस्थाओं पर अभूतपूर्व संकट। चुनावी जीत के लिए देश को गृह युद्ध में झोंकने की कोशिश."

Banerjee, meanwhile, has commenced her sit-in in Esplanade area of Kolkata and said she is ready to sacrifice her life for the country.

"Save the country, save India from the politics of vendetta and violence. We will keep fighting," she said.

After high drama in Kolkata when the CBI officials were detained by the Kolkata Police when they tried to enter the residence of Rajeev Kumar, Mamata rushed to the house of the latter and held a meeting.

Kolkata Police on Sunday evening forcibly whisked away the group of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials who tried to enter the house of Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar, who is reportedly wanted by the federal invetigating agency in the probe into ponzi scheme scams in West Bengal.

They were reportedly detained but were later released, reports said.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi alleged that PM Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah are desperate to create a controversy in West Bengal for cheap publicity and divisiveness to get some space in 2019 elections.

" #Modi #shah antipathy #2mamta visceral; Modi bjp desperate 2create controversy in #WB 4cheap publicity & divisiveness 2get some space in 2019 elections! #CP available 4answering questions months. #HC order operates. #Cbi does not even ask hc! How can cbi land up at res of #CP?," he tweeted.

"#Modi #shah hav ensured a non functional parl &non productive session by doing such assaults on federal polity on Sunday evening. Did cbi land upto hv coffee with #CP on Sunday? No warrant mere section 160 notice. All this despite operating #hc stay in hc in favour of police offr," he said.

Mamata Banerjee earlier tweeted:"The highest levels of the BJP leadership are doing the worst kind of political vendetta. Not only are political parties their targets, they are misusing power to take control of the police and destroy all institutions. We condemn this," Mamata Banerjee tweeted.

Kumar was wanted for questioning in connection with investigations into several ponzi scams.

Over the last two years he had received several summons for questioning, CBI sources told several media.

He had headed the special investigation team investigating into the Saradha and Rose Valley scams.

As per media reports, Kumar has been accused of tampering with evidence to save several influential people in the state.

Amid media reports that Kumar has not been attending his office for the past three days and has gone missing, the Kolkata Police rubbished the reports and said in a statement: "Kolkata Police condemns and denies such baseless news. Please take note that not only is the CP Kolkata available in the city, but has also been attending office on a regular basis, with the exception of 31.1.19, when he was on leave for a day."

Kolkata Police Additional Commissioner of Kolkata Police Javed Shamim called a press conference to say the reports of Rajeev Kumar absconding are fake news and legal action would be taken against publications of the news.  Kumar reportedly even did not attend a meeting with the Election Commission last week.