The BJP has strongly criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, labelling her a 'symbol of anarchy' after the Supreme Court scrutinised her involvement during an Enforcement Directorate search, escalating political tensions ahead of the assembly elections.
The BJP on Wednesday described West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as a "symbol of anarchy" after the Supreme Court questioned her action during the ED search at the office of political-consultancy firm I-PAC, and asserted that "her jungle raj" will come to an end on May 4 with the defeat of TMC in the assembly polls.
The alleged obstruction by the chief minister during a raid conducted on January 8 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Kolkata came under intense scrutiny on Wednesday, with the Supreme Court saying that democracy is put in peril if a chief minister intervenes in a probe.
"This is not a dispute between the Centre and the state. A chief minister of any state just walks in the midst of an inquiry or investigation, puts democracy in peril and then you say it is a dispute between the Centre and the state," a bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and N V Anjaria said .
The remarks came when senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy, appearing in the court for a senior West Bengal official, questioned the maintainability of the ED's plea, saying the dispute is essentially between the Centre and the state.
Latching on to the top court's observations, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said Banerjee should immediately step down as the chief minister if there is any "shred of shame" left in her after this.
"The Supreme Court reprimanded Mamata for (her) anarchist attitude⦠We saw how Mamata Banerjee stopped the ED official from conducting a probe into the coal scam and tried to destroy the evidence," Bhatia charged, adding, "Mamata Banerjee has become synonymous with jungle raj and a symbol of anarchy."
He claimed that people of West Bengal are "fed up" with Banerjee. "First phase of polling will be held tomorrow and people of West Bengal are demanding a big change. They will vote for this. This makes it clear that Mamata Banerjee's jungle raj will not continue further. People will teach her a lesson. On May 4, Mamata Banerjee's jungle raj will come to an end," Bhatia added.
West Bengal is set to vote in the first phase of the assembly elections on Thursday, amid an increasingly polarised battle.
The opening round of the two-phase election covers 152 of the state's 294 seats â including all 54 in north Bengal's eight districts and several in Murshidabad, Nadia, Birbhum and Hooghly.
The second round of the polling for the remaining seats in the 294-member assembly will be held on April 29 and the counting of votes will be done on May 4.