NIA probe means attack on federalism: Trinamool

Amid the growing chorus for an NIA probe into the Oct 2 blast in West Bengal, the ruling Trinamool Congress Tuesday yet again opposed the move, contending that the intervention of the central agency will be tantamount to attack on federalism.

Trinamool Congress spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Derek O'Brien questioned the competency of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and contended that the central government would constantly interfere in the state's affairs if the agency is allowed to probe the blast in Burdwan.

"There have been so many bomb blasts which the NIA has been probing. Have all those been solved? Has the NIA come from the sky that it will solve everything? Moreover, there is a procedure for its intervention. The state administration is doing whatever is there to be done," O'Brien said.

"The most important thing is, NIA means attacking the federal structure. In the name of NIA, Centre will continuously interfere in the state's affairs. That is why we have opposed the (proposed) National Counter Terrorism Centre," added O'Brien.

The Trinamool MP Monday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the BJP's demand for an NIA probe, saying: "Trust is a word not found in the PM's dictionary. The PM does not trust his own party colleagues nor does he trust key members of his own administration. He thinks the CMs of all states also operate like him..."

With investigating agencies suspecting the involvement of international terror outfits in the explosion in a house in Khagragarh in the district that killed two suspected militants, the Bharatiya Janata Party as well as the Communist Party of India-Marxist have been clamouring for the NIA to step in.

Trinamool's opposition to the NIA has been criticised by the BJP as well as the CPI-M, who have been alleging the state government of using police to cover up the ruling party's "links with terror and fundamentalist outfits".

Reacting to O'Brien's contentions, CPI-M MP Mohammad Salim said: "NIA is best suited to probe the matter, especially when the state police have admitted the involvement of international terror outfits. Trinamool's opposition to NIA makes it apparent that it has something to hide and prevent the truth from coming out."