Arrest Modi to stop damage being done to nation: Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday sought for the arrest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah in Godhara case.

The Trinamool Congress chief made the demand after her party leader in Lok Sabha, Sudip Bandyopadhyay, was arrested by the CBI in the Rose Valley chit fund scam.

Trinamool workers also attacked the BJP central party office of Bengal at Murli Dhar Street. Significantly, Bandopadhyay is MP from North Kolkata constituency where the BJP head office is located.

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Reacting on the arrest, Mamata said, "I am shocked to hear that such a senior politician is arrested. It is going to be very harmful for the nation if PM Modi is allowed to stay out."

Claiming that the people of the country will not allow Modi a free run, she mentioned about the Godhra riot in which Modi was accused.

"If Modi is allowed to stay out of jail, he will continue to damage the country. Modi and Shah were involved in Godhra riot. So they must be arrested. Modi wears dresses worth crores. From where does the money come?"

She further said that the voice of people cannot be gagged and her leaders were being targeted because she is opposing demonetisation. She announced to stage protest in front of Reserve Bank of India office on January 9.

Terming the arrest an example of political vendetta, the WB Chief Minister hoped for his leader's good health in the custody. The Trinamool MP will be taken to Bhubaneswar on Tuesday night.

Alleging that Adani got huge favours from Modi government, Mamata claimed that Modi has lost his cool and dared if he can arrest Adani.

Mamata Banerjee also named other Trinamool leaders - Abhishek Banerjee, Sovan Chatterjee, Suvendu Adhikary, Firhad Hakim – who, she was informed by ED and CBI, that are in next in line to be put behind bars.

Promising to take the fight forward legally, Mamata Banerjee alleged that CBI and ED are threatening the lawyers and are also asking the judiciary not to provide any relief to our leaders.

She also blamed BJP leaders of being involved in the Rose Valley chit-fund scam.

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"BJP leaders are thieves and dacoits and they are running a parallel economy. Just because I am involved in protests against demonetisation, Modi is targeting my leaders. In future, he can arrest me, my family, all my MLAs also."

"A chit fund company, Pearl's office is located near the finance ministry and it has looted Rs 50,000 crore. But why Modi is not taking any action?" she asked.

She declared to launch a movement, led by Trinamool Congress, on Wednesday against the arrest of Sudip Bandopadhyay. She said that from January 9 she along with her party members will launch a 72-hour agitation at different places like Kishangunj, Dhanbad, Assam, Tripura, Bhubaneswar and Arunachal Pradesh. She, however, has not decided where she will be present to lead the protest.

Warning the CBI and EDF officials, Mamata asked them not abide by the BJP leaders' orders, as they might not be in power later. "I can also avenge the arrest of my leaders by arresting the BJP men. They are involved in rioting here too," she added.