Row over raid at Rajeev Kumar residence deepens as TMC carries out protest in Bengal

With TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on a sit-in against the CBI's attempt to grill Kolkata police chief in chit fund scam cases, her party workers on Monday took out protest rallies, blocked highways and rail tracks and burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah in various parts of West Bengal. Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders and ministers also joined the protests as party supporters carrying black flags and wearing black masks raised slogans against the BJP government while marching through the streets. The party's student wing activists staged rallies outside various colleges.

The TMC leaders criticised the Centre over the CBI episode and vowed to "continue their fight" till the Narendra Modi government is defeated in the next Lok Sabha polls. A CBI team had gone to Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar's residence in the city Sunday to question him in connection with multi-crore ponzi scams, but it was denied permission, bundled into jeeps and whisked to a police station.

The chief minister accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah of trying to organise a "coup" in the state. She alleged that National Security Advisor Ajit Doval was directing the CBI to harass political opponents on the orders of the prime minister. In several parts of the state, including Burdwan, East Purulia, Birbhum, South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas districts, the protesters burnt effigies of Modi and Shah.

The activists also obstructed train movement in Howrah and Hooghly districts and put up blockades on the national highway in Bankura district. Banerjee said earlier in the day that she would continue her "satyagraha" till the country and its Constitution are "saved". She had directed party leaders to organise protest marches across the state Monday between 2 pm and 4 pm, without inconveniencing people.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)