"Vindictive politics": Kunal Ghosh on CID's visit to Mamata's home

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh condemned the West Bengal CID's visit to Mamata Banerjee's residence, calling it "vindictive politics". Ghosh said the team arrived while the former CM was in Delhi for an INDIA bloc meeting, calling it 'not right for democracy'.

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh on Tuesday condemned the arrival of the West Bengal CID team at party supremo Mamata Banerjee's residence in her absence, calling it a case of "vindictive politics".

Speaking with the media outside Mamata Banerjee's residence, the TMC leader said that the arrival of the CID at a time when the former West Bengal Chief Minister is in Delhi for INDIA bloc meeting and other engagements is "not right for democracy".

He further said TMC did not allow him to enter her residence, adding that he is unaware of the reason for CID's arrival. "We condemn this; we are all law-abiding citizens. Everyone knows she has a program in Delhi right now for the INDIA bloc meeting and another important engagement. What is happening here in her absence? I tried to go inside, but the CID is not allowing it. It is not right for democracy that CID and central forces are at Mamata Banerjee's residence while she is away in Delhi," he said.

"We have no information about why they have come here. Apparently, this can be a case of vindictive politics," he added.

A team from the West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Tuesday reached the residence of Trinamool Congress supremo and former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata.

Mamata Banerjee, who yesterday attended the INDIA bloc meeting, is in the national capital and met with Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi at her residence at 10 Janpath in New Delhi this evening

Signature Forgery Case Probe

Notably, a CID team also visited the residence of Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee last week in connection with the alleged signature forgery case.

The state CID has constituted a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged forgery of signatures of Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislators.

Abhishek Banerjee has been asked to present the party's original resolution copy sent to the West Bengal Assembly Speaker over the appointment of party office bearers, officials said.

Trinamool Congress (AITC) sources said Abhishek Banerjee has responded to the agency by sending a formal letter through his legal counsel.

On May 20, Abhishek Banerjee submitted a copy of the meeting resolution book with an attendance sheet containing the signatures of the members present in the concerned meeting, which mentioned that 70 MLAs were present at the meeting held on May 6.

On May 27, two AITC MLAs filed a complaint before the Speaker alleging that no resolution had been adopted regarding the LoP selection on May 6 and that they had only signed the meeting resolution book on May 19.

The complainants also alleged that the resolution dated May 6 was "manufactured and fabricated," with as many as 14 signatures appearing in block letters.

The Trinamool Congress later suspended the two MLAs - Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha for anti-party activities.

Based on a complaint by the Principal Secretary of the Assembly, Hare Street Police Station registered a case on May 27 under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) related to cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy.

CID took over the investigation on May 28.

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