The Congress party has taken strong exception to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s remarks that the Central Bureau of Investigation is “not under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s control”. Hitting out at the Trinamool supremo, Congress claimed that Mamata has softened her stand against PM Modi in a bid to rescue her own nephew in the ongoing coal scam case.

“You can understand how much Mamata Banerjee is pleading before Modi to save her nephew,” the Daman and Diu unit of the Congress tweeted reacting to Banerjee’s statements. 

Congress leader BV Srinivas also took a dig at Mamata over her remarks and wrote, “When did this happen Didi?”

Also Read: West Bengal seeks faster release of Central funds

De-linking Modi from the ongoing CBI-ED investigation in the state, the TMC supremo on Monday said that she didn’t believe PM Modi was responsible for the crackdown. She further said that the CBI was being run by a handful of BJP leaders including Union Home Minister Amit Shah by keeping PM Modi in the dark. “The CBI no longer reports to the PMO. It is being run by the Home Ministry,” said Banerjee.

The TMC chief’s remarks come at a time when several ministers from her cabinet and top leaders from her party are being probed by the central investigating agencies in connection with several scams. 

Also Read: Mamata Banerjee makes a prediction for BJP at Trinamool’s mega show of strength in Kolkata

On Monday, the Bengal legislative assembly passed a resolution condemning the “excesses of the central probe agencies”. After the BJP opposed the resolution, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, reacting to Banerjee’s remarks, said, “This is just a ploy to save herself and her nephew. Our party will not fall for this.”

She also trained her guns at the state BJP leaders, who she believes are influencing the central probe agencies. Lashing out at her former party colleague Adhikari, Banerjee said, “The thief is trying to hide by wearing saffron. They want to finish us. Those who have become inflated like a gas balloon, will meet their end. I know how much money you have in your house. We know how many petrol pumps and lodges you have. If the CBI investigates them, we will cooperate.”

One of PM Modi’s staunchest critics, Abhishek Banerjee, has refrained from blaming PM Modi and attacked Shah after he appeared before the ED in connection with the coal scam case.