All progressive forces in the country “should come together and fight the oppressive force,” Mamata Banerjee has said in a letter to opposition leaders and chief ministers of the non-BJP ruled states. This is yet another move by the 67-year-old leader to forge an alliance against the ruling party at the centre ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In her sharply-worded letter, the West Bengal chief minister wrote: “(The) BJP has repeatedly attacked the federal structure of our country and now, it’s time to unitedly fight this oppressive regime.” She also alleged a misuse of central agencies – including the Enforcement Directorate, the CBI and the Central Vigilance Commission, and called for an opposition meeting.
“We must resist the BJP’s intention to misuse these central agencies with the sole intent of suppressing the opposition leaders. Central agencies are jolted to action when elections are around the corner. It is amply clear that the BJP ruled states get a free pass from these agencies to paint a hollow picture of their governance,” the letter reads. It has been written at a time when the Bengal chief minister’s nephew, Abhishek, is facing questioning by the Enforcement Directorate in the coal mining case.
