Senior opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari has escalated his dispute with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, directly challenging her to release evidence of corruption against a top state election official, Manoj Agrawal, or face the revelation of alleged misconduct by her own staff. The challenge comes after Banerjee made strong public remarks against the official and the Election Commission.

Tensions Flare Over Election Commission and SIR

The political heat was turned up following comments made by Mamata Banerjee on Thursday, where she launched a scathing critique of the Election Commission (EC) and expressed deep concern over the Special Initiative for Reporting (SIR). Banerjee alleged that the SIR was a ploy to implement the controversial National Register of Citizens (NRC). Her attack also targeted Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

During her remarks, the Chief Minister specifically took aim at a state official deputed to the EC, widely understood to be Agrawal, saying, “There are many complaints against the person who went there from the state. I will talk about them when the time comes. I hope he doesn’t overstep. He is threatening officers too much. And he himself is facing corruption allegations.”

Adhikari Files Complaint, Issues Ultimatum

In a swift response, Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, first called for central security forces to be deployed for Agrawal’s protection on Thursday night. He then officially lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against the Chief Minister, asserting that the language she used was “extremely dangerous for democracy” and amounted to a threat to the constitutional body. He went further, labelling her rhetoric as “the language of goons.”

At a press conference, Adhikari issued a direct ultimatum to Banerjee. “The people of West Bengal want to know, and we as the principal opposition party want to know, what information you have against Manoj Agrawal,” he demanded. He challenged her to name the officials allegedly threatened by Agrawal and clarify their posts.

“If you do not bring all these allegations with evidence and facts before the public by Monday,” Adhikari declared, “we will assume you are afraid of the SIR and losing power. If you cannot expose Manoj Agrawal’s corruption by Monday, then we will speak out about a series of corruption issues concerning your IAS, IPS officers, and staff of the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).” The move signifies a major escalation in the standoff between the state’s ruling party and the opposition ahead of key elections.

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