Kolkata Crisis: Who Gains Politically in This Fight?

CBI’s attempt to question WB Police Commissioner turned into a turf war between Mamata Banerjee and the Centre.

The CBI’s attempt to question Rajeev Kumar turned into a turf war between Mamata Banerjee and the Centre.

(Photo: The Quint)

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerkee waged was with the Central government on Sunday, 3 February, as the TMC supremo began a dharna in Kolkata over the CBI's attempt to question the Kolkata Police chief in connection with chit fund scams, insisting it stifled the spirit of "Constitution and federalism".

The CBI’s attempt to question Kolkata Police Commissioner, Rajeev Kumar, turned into a turf war between Mamata Banerjee and the Centre. The standoff has intensified as the West Bengal CM extended her strike till 8 February.

The matter is to be heard in the Supreme Court, but before that an important question rings- who will gain politically in this fight? BloombergQuint talks to BJP Spokesperson Sudesh Verma; Aadil Boparai from Congress; Alok Prasann Kumar, Senior Resident Fellow for Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy and R Jagannathan, Editorial Director of Swarajya.

When asked on what he has to say about the government misusing institutions like the CBI for political vendetta, Sudesh Verma, BJP spokesperson said that it wasn’t the government that had ordered the probe into the Saradha scam, but the Supreme Court. He stated that the CBI was acing under the Supreme Court’s supervision.

Verma also said that it was only after Kumar, who was then heading the SIT into the Saradha scam, had ignored four summons, that the CBI was compelled to come knocking on his door. He also alleged that Kumar was accused of tampering with evidence.

Verma also questioned Kumar’s credibility as a responsible officer.

“If he gets summoned, how should he act being a responsible officer? Will he sit on dharna and say you can’t investigate? Will he join his political masters and defy the federal system like this?”

Sudesh Verma to <i>BloombergQuint </i>

When asked about the timing of the incident, since the order was from 2014 and it is speculated that CBI is being used close to the elections, Verma defensively asked why the government was being questioned for what the CBI was doing.

“The CBI spokesperson should have been approached for the timing, not me. We have nothing to do with the timing.”

Sudesh Verma to <i>BloombergQuint </i>

Congress spokesperson Aadil Boparai, on the other hand, said that this incident depicted a fight between India and two individuals - Narendra Modi and Amit Shah.

Countering the BJP spokesperson’s statements- Voparai cited para 39 of the SC judgment of 2014 that mentioned the SC completely handing over the investigations to the CBI. Further, he cited Section 93 of the CRPC, saying that the CBI was required to have a court warrant to search the premises of any person, of any occupation. He also cited the Prevention of Corruption Act.

“Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act act says that if you have to enquire an officer who is employed with the state government, you need prior permission, so the government cannot swoop on the police commissioner and send 40 officers and try to arrest him.”

Aadil Boparai, Congress spokesperson to <i>BloombergQuint </i>

He further said the entire incident showed the BJP’s tactics to intimidate the opponent and the larger issue at stake, was that the institutions of the nation were being compromised under the present government.

(With inputs from BloombergQuint)