Kolkata, February 3: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held a meeting with Director General of Police of the state at Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajiv Kumar’s residence, after officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) were detained earlier in the day. Mayor of Kolkata Firhad Hakim was also present in the meeting. While interacting with media after the meeting, Banerjee said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was torturing the state. She further added, “They are forcibly trying to destroy Bengal just because I did brigade rally. Yesterday you saw the language of PM where he threatened.”

The West Bengal CM stated, "I am proud to say that my responsibility is to give protection to the force. Without notice, you are coming to Kolkata Police Commissioner's house. We could have arrested CBI but we left." Referring to CBI officials raid at Kumar's residence, she said that she felt sad today as on the destruction of the federal structure.

The officials were detained after the CBI team reached the residence of Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajiv Kumar at Loudon Street in Kolkata to meet him. According to reports, the CBI officials were asked to visit the local police station when they inform the Kolkata police that they need the police commissioner. They were later taken to Shakespeare Sarani Police station. Bidhannagar police is also present outside the CBI's regional office at CGO Complex in Kolkata. Earlier in the day, Banerjee backed the Kolkata police commissioner, who has been summoned by the CBI. The state CM accused the BJP of playing political vendetta.

Meanwhile, the BJP has hit out at the West Bengal CM. senior party leader Kailash Vijayvargiya said, “Democracy has ended in WB, CBI was investigating on orders of SC, but they didn't allow them. CBI officers were detained, this is the first time something like this has happened since independence, we condemn this.”

Yesterday while speaking in a rally in Durgapur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the state CM. Taking a dig at Banerjee over a ban on the Central Investigation Agency in the state, PM Modi stated that why Banerjee was afraid of the agency if she had done nothing wrong. He further added that he would continue his fight against black money.

In November last year, Banerjee decided to withdraw the ‘General Consent’ or a free pass to the country's top investigation firm. This move was triggered by the perception that the CBI was acting as the behest of the BJP at the centre.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 03, 2019 08:37 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).