Didi Claims "I'm Reborn" In spoiling ED Raids On I-PAC

Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee asserted on Friday that she was “reborn” in her popular avatar of opposition through her act against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for raiding two premises linked to her party's political consulting firm, I-PAC, in the coal smuggling scam.

The Trinamul Congress supremo also accused union home minister Amit Shah of being the beneficiary of the coal scam with the help of two state BJP leaders including leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari and warned him of crossing Lakshman Rekha. Otherwise, she can open a can of worms, referring to a set of pen drives, stored with secrets, in her possession.

Ms Banerjee defended her daring role as a street fighter in the ED raids on Thursday after leading a massive protest rally from Jadavpur to Hazra in the city over the central agencies' excess in the state. She told a gathering about switching to her old form, “If I'm attacked, rebirth happens to me. I was thinking yesterday that I am reborn.”

The CM said, “I was not at all aware of anything. In the morning, I came to know something was taking place. I didn't try to know further…Abhishek sent me a message but I missed it. Whatever I did yesterday was in my capacity of TMC chairperson. I did nothing wrong. You came to finish me. But I have the right of self defence." She then reminded the BJP that I-PAC had earlier worked for Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he came to power at the Centre in 2014 and many parties in South India before Prashant Kishore handed over his ownership to a co-founder Pratik Jain.

The TMC chief later sharpened her attack on the BJP. She alleged, “They are talking about me getting money from the coal scam! Who pockets it? He is Amit Shah, the home minister. How does he have them? The money reaches him through a Gaddar who has become an adopted son. There is a big dacoit, Jagannath in BJP. The money goes to Suvendu from him and then it reaches Mr Shah through Suvendu.”

Threatening the BJP, Ms Banerjee claimed, “It is your good luck that since I have been in the chair, I do not release pen drives. If there is any disturbance again, I must tell you that everything has been stored in those pen drives. I can spill the beans. I maintain courtesy to a certain limit. But don't forget Lakshman Rekha. A boundary is always there. If it is crossed, you can't tackle me anymore.”

She added, “I know many secrets but don't talk about them in the national interest. If I open my mouth, there will be an uproar worldwide tomorrow. But I don't indulge in it because I love my country. It's not my weakness however.” Meanwhile, a BJP delegation submitted a deputation to governor CV Ananda Bose at Lok Bhavan while the saffron party workers held a demonstration at Esplanade against Ms Banerjee's obstruction in ED raids.