Bengal Politics Heats Up As BJP Targets Mamata Over Sandeshkhali Weapon Stash, TMC Alleges Conspiracy - News18

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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) seized on Friday a big stash of arms and ammunition, including a foreign-made pistol and revolvers, from the house of an associate of suspended Trinamool Congress leader Shahjahan Sheikh, who is behind the bars, the probe agency said. It said officials, acting on a tip-off, found the arms during searches at two locations in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali in connection with an attack on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team by a mob allegedly instigated by Shahjahan in February.

The discovery came on the day parts of West Bengal voted in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections — and it triggered a political slugfest between the ruling TMC and its challenger, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which launched a fresh salvo at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over law and order.

"…information was received that the items lost by the ED Team and other incriminating articles may be hidden at the residence of an associate of Sk. Shahjahan at Sandeshkhali, North 24 Parganas. Accordingly, the team of CBI along with CRPF personnel searched 02 premises at Village Sandeshkhali, North 24 Parganas…," the agency said in a statement. It said three foreign-made revolvers, one Indian revolver, one Colt official police revolver, one foreign-made pistol and one country-made pistol were recovered, along with bullets and cartridges.

Bengali media reported that one of the houses where the arms were found belonged to a relative of an aide to Shahjahan. It was about 200 metres from the main road and was accessible through a narrow pavement made of bricks, according to Anandabazar Patrika. Central forces blocked that pathway, it reported. The arms and ammunition were dug up from beneath the floor, it added, citing sources. Subsequently, National Security Guard (NSG) commandos marched into Sandeshkhali and carried out further search.

"The CBI, during raid, in connection with the attack on ED officials, recovers huge amount of arms and ammunition from Sariberia, in Sandeshkhali. Mamata Banerjee, as Home Minister of West Bengal, must explain why is the state seeing huge stockpile of illegal weapons? It is dangerous," BJP leader Amit Malviya said in an X post, mounting pressure on Bengal's ruling TMC.

"NSG has been deployed but WB Govt has approached the Supreme Court to preclude the CBI from investigating the matter. The arms haul is nothing but an act of terror, waging war against the nation. But the question is - why is Mamata Banerjee trying to protect terrorists who have stocked firearms in such large quantity?" he added, referring to the Bengal government's move to approach the Supreme Court against CBI probe into Sandeshkhali violence.

The CBI, during raid, in connection with the attack on ED officials, recovers huge amount of arms and ammunition from Sariberia, in Sandeshkhali.Mamata Banerjee, as Home Minister of West Bengal, must explain why is the state seeing huge stockpile of illegal weapons? It is… pic.twitter.com/6CkWUObovZ

— Amit Malviya (मोदी का परिवार) (@amitmalviya) April 26, 2024

The place in Bengal's North 24-Paraganas district has remained politically charged since the February attack on the ED team and in the wake of complaints of land grab and harassment of local women by Shahjahan's men.

Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said Banerjee had "lost the moral authority to continue as the CM of WB after fostering Terrorists like Shahjahan Sheikh".

ED🔽CBI🔽NIA🔽NSGWhat Next in Sandeshkhali?

Army?

Huge cache of arms, ammunitions and explosives is being recovered in Sandeshkhali.

Mamata Banerjee have lost the moral authority to continue as the CM of WB after fostering Terrorists like Shahjahan Sheikh. pic.twitter.com/yJvLxgr6yy

— Suvendu Adhikari (Modi Ka Parivar) (@SuvenduWB) April 26, 2024

But TMC leader Kunal Ghosh cast aspersions on the CBI finding. "Till now, we have not seen any arms…CBI has not briefed anything officially…It is possible that our rivals or some political parties have planted arms..," he said, hours before the official CBI statement. In an X post, he took a dig at the Centre's ruling BJP without naming it. "There are attempts from Delhi to influence voting and keep the Sandeshkhali pot boiling. Dramas are being staged. The police should be alert," he shared.

সন্দেশখালি ইস্যু জিইয়ে রাখার জন্য পরিকল্পিত চক্রান্তে অতিনাটকীয় কাজকর্ম করে ভোট প্রভাবিত করার চেষ্টা হচ্ছে দিল্লির তরফ থেকে। আগাম সাজানো নাটক মঞ্চস্থ হচ্ছে। খবর ছড়িয়ে, যন্ত্র নামিয়ে বাজার গরম করছে। পুলিশের আরও সতর্ক থাকা দরকার।— Kunal Ghosh (@KunalGhoshAgain) April 26, 2024

On the orders of the Calcutta High Court, CBI has registered three FIRs related to the incidents of January 5, when the ED team was attacked on its way to raid the premises of Shahjahan in connection with an alleged ration scam. Then, on February 8, local women carrying brooms and sticks blocked a major road in Sandeshkhali, demanding the arrest of Shahjahan and his two aides. The West Bengal Police arrested the TMC strongman on February 29.

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