“NIA detains two chief suspects in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast, Mussavir Hussain Shazib and accomplice Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa, from Kolkata. Both likely belong to ISIS cell in Shivamogga, Karnataka. West Bengal, unfortunately, under Mamata Banerjee, has become a safe haven for terrorists,” BJP leader Amit Malviya wrote on X.
The leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, said, “The appeasement politics of the TMC is the reason behind the growing instances of terror modules finding a foothold in the state. The state government cannot evade responsibility.”
Mussavir Hussain Shazib and Adbul Matheen Taha were arrested from Purba Medinipur district on Friday for their alleged involvement in the blast at the Bengaluru cafe on March 1 that left nine people injured.
Responding to Malviya’s post, the West Bengal Police put out a message on their official X handle, highlighting it was a joint operation. “Falsehood at its worst! Contrary to the claims made by @amitmalviya, the fact is that, two suspects in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case have been arrested from Purba Medinipur in a JOINT operation by the West Bengal Police and the Central Intelligence Agencies,” it said.
The state police in its reaction to the BJP leaders statement over Bengal being safe haven for terrorists posted on X, “West Bengal has NEVER been a safe haven for terrorists and the state police will continue to remain ever-vigilant in keeping its people safe from nefarious activities. The proactive role of WBP in the matter has been officially acknowledged by the Central Agencies.”
Hitting out at the BJP, CM Banerjee, said that the party did not like the fact that people in the state “wanted to live in peace”. “Heard one BJP leader saying that Bengal is not safe. The accused who were hiding here for two hours and within two hours they were arrested due to a prompt response by our State police. What about States where you are in power? What about UP, Rajasthan, Delhi, Gujarat, Bihar? People of Bengal want to live in peace but the BJP doesn’t like this,” she said while addressing a public rally in North Bengal.
Under the TMC regime, West Bengal is sitting on a ticking time bomb, said BJP leader Dilip Ghosh. “If these terrorists were hiding here for the last few days, then it’s evident that they have support cells working here…,” he added.
While BJP state chief Sukanta Majumdar claimed that Bengal was the “epicentre of all terror activities” and had become “a hindrance in national security”, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh congratulated the West Bengal Police and alleged that it was a BJP leader’s family that was running illegal activities from Contai in Purba Medinipur district.
“Well done @WBPolice in connection with the Bengaluru-cafe blast arrest. Even @NIA_India has acknowledged it in their statements. Any anti-forces should be strictly dealt with. But let me ask to @BJP4India and their minions – where is this arrests made from? KANTHI. We all know which family and BJP’s main leader runs illegal activities from Contai. I urge the State agencies to probe… find out FAMILY’s links in providing shelter to ANTI-FORCES,” he wrote.
TMC state minister Sashi Panja, who was addressing a press conference after the arrests, claimed that the arrested accused had links to the BJP. “…We all knew that the person who was arrested in the Bengaluru cafe blast had links with the BJP. NIA specifically said that the West Bengal police arrested two alleged culprits from Kanthi, within two hours of getting the information. NIA in their statement praised the West Bengal police for their swift action but the BJP is so jealous of this that they are bringing in several theories and trying to belittle the praise. Why were the culprits nabbed from Kanthi? Just to divert the fact which family is in Kanthi, what is the connection between the terrorists and Kanthi, BJP are saying certain things,” he said.