File photo of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. | Photo Credit: PTI
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday (April 3, 2026) blamed AIMIM and ISF for the gherao of judicial officials in Malda district and accused Congress and BJP of instigation.
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Stating that the mastermind behind the Wednesday (April 1) gherao of judicial officials for several hours in Mothabari of Malda district was arrested by the state CID, Ms. Banerjee asserted that this police organization is still under her control and not the Election Commission.
“The BJP loaned him (the accused) from the AIMIM and brought him here,” he said, while addressing an election rally at Harirampur in Dakshin Dinajpur district.
“IFS is with them; Congress and BJP have also instigated,” the Trinamool Congress chief alleged, claiming that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the main accused, advocate Mofakkarul Islam, at the Bagdogra airport when he was trying to flee.
“It is they who engineered the violence in Malda’s Mothabari,” he said.
He questioned why the Assembly elections could not be held with the same electoral rolls that were used in the 2024 general elections.
“If the voter list contained names of insiders, Mr. Modi also won earlier with his votes, so he should resign first,” he said.
“The money is brought in using CRPF vehicles,” he alleged, stating that he knows where they were going.
“I have a record of these movements and I will expose them at the appropriate time,” he said.
Ms Banerjee said Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s presence in West Bengal during the elections will lead to a reduction in the BJP’s vote share.
Mr Shah has said he would camp in West Bengal during the elections.
Published – April 3, 2026 02:20 pm IST
