Left for arrest of all TMC leaders named in Narada sting operation

The Left on Tuesday demanded that all the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders and others named in the FIR in the Narada sting operation case should be taken into police custody.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had on Monday registered an FIR against 12 TMC leaders in the Narada sting operation case. The CBI's action came after the Supreme Court gave one-month time to the premier investigating agency to check whether an FIR was needed in the case.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury demanded that all the accused TMC leaders should be interrogated in the police custody.

"Arrest all the TMC leaders against whom the chargesheet has been filed in the Narada sting operation case. They should be interrogated under police custody," said Yechury.

"That is the essential manner in which such cases proceed. Now, the Modi government should show the courage to do so," he added.

Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Biman Bose on his part termed the FIR to be a follow up action of the Supreme Court's order.

"Since the politicians named in the FIR are powerful so they should be taken into custody and accordingly they should be punished," demanded Bose.

The TMC leaders booked by the CBI include Rajya Sabha MP Mukul Roy, Lok Sabha MPs Saugata Roy, Aparupa Poddar, Sultan Ahmed, Prasun Banerjee and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar.

Others named are West Bengal Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim, Transport Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Environment Minister Sovan Chatterjee, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Subrata Mukherjee, former Minister Madan Mitra, MLA Iqbal Ahmed and IPS officer SMH Mirza.

The Narada News tapes were released ahead of the 2016 Assembly elections in West Bengal. The tapes showed certain TMC leaders allegedly received money from representatives of a fictitious company.