Infuriated Mamata Banerjee hits out at BJP president Amit Shah

Kolkata: Standing by the side of her colleague Madan Mitra, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee virtually declared a war against the Narendra Modi government and BJP president Amit Shah for Mr Mitra’s “unjust and unconstitutional arrest”.

Mr Mitra’s arrest clearly rattled the state government and the Trinamool leadership.

At around 4 pm when he was arrested, Ms Banerjee was chairing a Cabinet meeting at Nabanna. Initially, she fielded panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee to give her government and the party’s reaction to the arrest. Later, however, she herself came out and launched a strident tirade against the Centre and the BJP.

A livid Ms Banerjee accused the Central government of political vendetta against her party and the state government. She also voiced her displeasure over the manner in which Mr Mitra was arrested only hours after his first appearance before the CBI.

“It is illegal to arrest a Cabinet minister without informing the CM. I have also come to know that they have not even informed the Speaker of the Assembly,” she said.

“Can I slap a case against a Central minister if he or she visits here and show arrest,” Ms Banerjee said.