A car in which the ED officials came was damaged
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose and BJP leaders have strongly condemned the attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers by supporters of a Trinamool Congress leader in North 24 Parganas district.
The ED officers had gone to search Trinamool leader Sheikh Sajahan house as part of searches at 15 places in a case linked to alleged corruption ration distribution.
"It is a ghastly incident. It is alarming and deplorable. It is the duty of a civilised government to stop barbarism and vandalism in a democracy. If a govt fails in its basic duty, then the Constitution of India will take its course," Governor CV Anand told news agency ANI.
"I reserve all my constitutional options for appropriate action. This pre-election violence should find an early end, and this is the beginning of that end," the Governor said.
The attack on ED officers marks a big escalation in the friction between the government led by Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the ED, a central agency that the Opposition parties have time and again accused of working in a biased manner.
In a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah, Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar sought an investigation by the anti-terror group National Investigation Team (NIA).
BJP's Suvendu Adhukari, who is the Leader of Opposition in Bengal, took direct aim at Ms Banerjee over law and order issues in her state. "... Due to Mamata Banerjee's assurance and encouragement, criminals like Sheikh Shahjahan have assembled Rohingya to work as his henchmen and establish a reign of terror," Mr Adhikari said in a post on X.
Earlier today, a large number of Trinamool loyalists first surrounded the ED officers and the central forces personnel who accompanied them when they reached Mr Sahajan's home.
The ED officers had to leave their vehicles and take autorickshaws and two-wheelers to reach a safe place out of Sandeskhali.
"This kind of attack is unprecedented. Our officers had to flee the area to save themselves from the attack. Vehicles of us and those of the central forces were damaged. Personnel of the central forces were also assaulted," an ED officer told news agency PTI.
Senior police officers including the Superintendent of Police of North 24 Parganas district did not get in touch when the ED officers tried to contact them when they were assaulted, the officer alleged.