Mamata Banerjee dares IT officials to check chopper of BJP leaders

Cooch Behar: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Monday dared the Income tax officials to check the chopper used by BJP leaders for the election campaign, a day after a row erupted over the TMC's claim of a "raid" by income tax officials targeting a helicopter used by party leader Abhishek Banerjee.

Banerjee, while addressing a rally in Cooch Behar, alleged that the BJP is misusing central agencies against the TMC ahead of the elections.

"Income Tax officials conducted a raid and searched Abhishek Banerjee's chopper before the trial run but found nothing. Those I-T officials claimed that we had inputs that there was money and gold in the chopper, but they found nothing. We don't engage in such acts.

"It is the BJP that is involved in such things. But will the officials of the central agency ever dare to check BJP leaders' choppers," she said.

The Trinamool Congress on Sunday said its general secretary Abhishek Banerjee's helicopter was raided by Income Tax officials in Kolkata's Behala flying club and alleged this was part of a deliberate ploy by the BJP to harass and intimidate opposition candidates whom they cannot engage with politically.

As a row erupted over the TMC's claim of a "raid", I-T department sources claimed that there was no enforcement action such as a search or survey and the TMC leader wasn't even present in the chopper.

The TMC supremo also accused the BJP of misusing central agencies and not allowing a "level playing field for all political parties," in the elections.

"The BJP might use NIA just days before the first phase of the election to arrest our leaders so that they can have a free run," she said.