Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday hit out at the BJP-led central government, alleging that it was conspiring to arrest all opposition leaders before the next year's Lok Sabha polls and cast votes for themselves in an “empty country”.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been summoned by the ED for questioning in an excise policy-linked money-laundering case on November 2, while several other leaders were also served notices, she said and claimed that phones of opposition party MPs are being hacked.
Ms Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, continued with her demand from the Centre to release MGNREGA funds due to West Bengal and extended the November 1 deadline set by her party till November 16.
"Before next year's elections, they (BJP) are trying to gag the voice of all opposition parties. They are planning to arrest all opposition leaders before the polls so that they can vote for themselves in an empty country. They are hatching a conspiracy," Ms Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat.
"They (Centre) have sent a notice to Arvind (Kejriwal). Five-six MPs have said their phones have been hacked... Let them continue to do it. We cannot humiliate our motherland,” she said.
On the issue of MGNREGA funds due to the state, she said Governor CV Ananda Bose had promised that he would take up the matter with the Centre.
“Today was the last day, but nothing has happened so far. If the MNEGRA dues are not cleared by November 16, we will declare our next course of action," Ms Banerjee added.
The TMC boss said that on November 15, her party would hold a party meeting at the city's Netaji Indoor Stadium to decide on their next course of action on the issue.
To a question on the arrest of state Forest Minister Jyotipriya Mallick by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the ration scam, she said her party would reply to the query.
The TMC supremo, however, held the erstwhile Left Front government responsible for the multi-crore ration scam and lauded the arrested former food minister for doing a commendable job by digitising ration cards.
“I will not respond to the legal part of this issue as the accused needs to defend himself,” Ms Banerjee said.
She claimed that when the TMC came to power in 2011 defeating the CPI(M)-led Left Front, there were one crore fake ration cards in the state.
“Many brokers took people's rations and sold those outside. I have cancelled those 1 crore fake ration cards. I have filed a case against them and arrested them. A charge sheet has been issued against them," she said.
In an apparent reference to Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, the chief minister said an investigation is on against the BJP leader to prove his involvement in corruption.
“I am just thinking aloud. There are some people who own 60-70 fishing trawlers besides many benami properties and petrol pumps... We are recovering documents as well. Many things will come out if we start digging,” she said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)