West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused NIA officials of attacking villagers in Bhupatinagar, Purba Medinipur district, rather than the other way around, during an election rally in Balurghat, Dakshin Dinajpur district on Saturday.

Banerjee defended the villagers’ response as an act of self-defence, claiming that NIA officials had entered several houses in the early hours over an incident involving the “bursting of crackers in 2022.”

“The attack was not perpetrated by the women of Bhupatinagar, but rather by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) team,” she said.

Banerjee questioned the rationale behind the NIA’s actions and accused them of having a political motive, suggesting an attempt to intimidate TMC workers. She further questioned why the agency was making arrests just days before the polls in a case dating back to December 2022.

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Further, the TMC chief accused the BJP-led central government of using central agencies to influence the elections. She urged the Election Commission to remain impartial and not become a “BJP-run commission.”

Questioning the transfer of state’s police officers by the EC, she asked why ED, CBI and IT officers have not been changed. “NIA, CBI are brothers of BJP; the ED (Enforcement Directorate) and Income Tax are funding boxes of BJP,” Banerjee said.

Earlier on Saturday, the NIA arrested two key conspirators in a 2022 blast case amid an attack on the probe agency’s team by a crowd in East Medinipore district. An NIA officer was injured, and a vehicle belonging to the probe agency was damaged in the attack, according to an official spokesperson. Subsequently, the NIA team lodged a complaint at Bhupatinagar police station.

‘Attack on NIA team very serious matter’: Governor

Meanwhile, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose called the attack on NIA officers a “very serious issue”, emphasizing the importance of treating the matter with the gravity it deserves.

He also said such an “attempt to bully the investigating agencies does not bring credit to anyone down the line” and the matter has to be dealt with an iron hand.

“This is a very serious situation which has to be dealt with all the seriousness that it deserves. This kind of ‘goondaism’ should not be allowed. Muscle power should not replace legal power. This has to be dealt with an iron hand,” Bose told PTI at the Raj Bhavan.