Kolkata Police-CBI showdown: Mamata to stage 'dharna'

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], Feb 3 (ANI): After five CBI officials were detained by the Kolkata Police, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday vociferously said that she would stage a "dharna" in protest against BJP's alleged misuse of central institutions and to save the "federal structure" of the country.
Terming the dharna as 'satyagraha', Banerjee said that she would stage her protest near the Metro Channel here.
"I am going to stage a dharna to save the federal structure. From today, I'm going to sit near the Metro Channel. Tomorrow proceedings in state assembly will take place where I will hold a meeting. This dharna means satyagraha," Banerjee told reporters outside Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar's residence here.
Describing Rajeev Kumar as the "best in the world", Banerjee said, "I am proud to say that my responsibility is to give protection to the force. Without notice, you are coming to Kolkata Police Commissioner's house. We could have arrested CBI but we left."
"I will stand with my force. I respect them. I felt very sad today. This is the destruction of the federal structure. I still say Rajeev Kumar (Kolkata Police Commissioner) is the best in the world," she added.
Sharpening her attack on BJP, the TMC supremo accused the party of "torturing" the people of West Bengal and claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah were using tactics to "destablise" the state.
"BJP is torturing (people of) Bengal. They are forcibly trying to destroy Bengal just because I did the brigade rally. Yesterday, you saw the language of Prime Minister where he threatened and made baseless allegations against us," Banerjee said.
Training her guns at the BJP, Banerjee asserted that the party would not win the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as it is "past its expiry date."
In an unprecedented development, a team of CBI investigators, who arrived at Rajeev Kumar’s residence in connection with Saradha Chit fund scam and were not allowed to enter the residence. The team has now been taken to a police station.
The development marks a face-off between the Mamata Banerjee government and the Centre, adding a new dimension to the already bitter relations.
Rajeev Kumar, a 1989-batch IPS officer of West Bengal cadre was heading a SIT on the Saradha and Rose Valley scams. The CBI wanted the top officer to hand over the seizure list made during his probe, sources said.
Reportedly, Kumar was to be questioned regarding missing documents and files but he is not responding to notices to appear before the agency.
Rajeev Kumar, believed to be close to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, was not present at the meeting with Election Commission officials, who were in Kolkata to meet him to discuss election preparedness, as per sources.
Sources added that Banerjee had also apologised yesterday that the Kolkata police chief could not make it to the meeting.
Rajeev Kumar, according to media reports, became apprehensive of his arrest after Bengali film producer Shrikant Mohita was taken into custody. (ANI)