The Trinamool Congress (TMC) accused the BJP of orchestrating an Income Tax (IT) raid on its general secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s helicopter at Kolkata’s Behala Flying Club. The TMC alleged that this was a deliberate tactic by the BJP to intimidate opposition candidates whom they cannot confront politically.
Banerjee said on X, “Instead of removing the @NIA_India DG and SP, @ECISVEEP and @BJP4India chose to deploy minions from IT to search and raid my chopper and security personnel today, resulting in no findings.”
The TMC said the chopper was undergoing a trial run at Behala Flying Club for Banerjee’s visit to Haldia in Purba Medinipur when a team of IT officials arrived and extensively searched it.
Banerjee asserted that the BJP is anxious about its prospects in Bengal and is attempting to eliminate opposition by deploying central agencies. The TMC condemned the raid as an attempt by “zamindars” (landlords) to exert dominance but affirmed Bengal’s resilience.
The Diamond Harbour MP claimed when his security personnel videographed the raid, IT officials forcefully had it deleted.
In response, BJP’s Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, defended the IT raid as part of efforts to curb black money in election campaigns. Adhikari criticized the TMC’s reaction, suggesting Banerjee should have cooperated with officials instead of resisting.
The TMC’s outcry over the raid, according to Adhikari, reflects their anxiety about their wealth.
“Instead of creating a fuss over the IT raid, which was aimed at ensuring a clean poll campaign, Banerjee should have quietly cooperated with the officials. Is he above the law of the country?” Adhikari said while campaigning for the BJP in Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency.