After the former Jharkhand CM Hemant Sorens’ arrest, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee herself had expressed apprehension that more opposition leaders might have to go to jail ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and that in case she too was sent to jail, she would somehow come out of it. She had even said: “All would be put behind bars by way of intimidation. Bear in mind that to win the election, all are being sent to jail.”

At present, at least five senior leaders and ministers in TMC, including Partha Chatterjee, Jyoti Priya Mallick, Kuntal Ghosh, Manik Bhattacharya and the heavyweight Anubrata Mondal, have been lodged in jail for months. They were arrested in connection with the School Service Commission recruitment scam, ration distribution scam and alleged involvement in cattle smuggling.

The name of Mamata’s nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, the de facto number two in the organisation, tops the list of the 14 leaders who are likely to be arrested. ED has already raided the residences and offices of most of these leaders. They are implicated in various cases involving cattle smuggling, coal smuggling, etc. The name of MP and film star Nusrat Jahan also features in the rumours. ED, at the insistence of Modi and Amit Shah, is determined to paralyse TMC, robbing it of its top leaders and faces, just ahead of the Lok Sabha election. Sources maintain that this time the ED will descend on the scene with a huge armed posse and will not deter in using brute force in case any attempt is made to resist their actions.

Of course, Mamata Banerjee has expressed her anger against the political system: “Are we all thieves and they are all saints? They are the biggest of the thieves. Today they are in power and that is why they are roaming around with agencies. Tomorrow they will not be in power and everything will fall flat.” However, critics, academics and intellectuals blame the Bengal CM for the current situation.

They look at her jibe at the Congress and especially Rahul Gandhi as her tactics to keep Modi happy. But it does not appear to be yielding any result. Strangely, ED has simply intensified its raids in the last few days. Mamata’s desperation to be on the right side of Modi is also construed in her statement made while she was on 48-hour dharna demanding release of funds from Modi. Instead of attacking Modi, she directed her attack at Rahul and Congress. She accused the Congress of wooing the Muslim vote.

She reiterated her pledge not to contest the Lok Sabha election under the INDIA bloc. She said that she would go alone. She accuses Rahul of ignoring her. Incidentally, she did not choose to hide her estrangement from Congress. Instead, she claims it publicly and cautions her workers and cadres against the design of the Congress.

From her protest dharna dais, she openly accused Rahul: “They have come to do a programme in Bengal, but did not even inform me as an INDIA member. I got to know through administrative sources. They had called Derek (O’Brien) to request that the rally be allowed to pass through. Why come to Bengal then?” In Jharkhand, Rahul, on the other hand, said: “Mamataji too is saying that she is in the alliance, we too are saying we are in the alliance. Negotiation on seats is under way. It will be resolved.” He has preferred to eschew criticism of her upon entering Bengal despite Mamata’s attack on Congress and on him.

There is no secret that by targeting the Congress, she intends to convey a message to Modi. This is the impression that the social and political circles nurse. Her attack showed disrespect, in sharp contrast, Rahul has been quite guarded and never speaks ill of Mamata openly. Even Jairam Ramesh, in charge of communications, gave a guarded reply on the Mamata: “She is somewhat upset. This alliance is for the Lok Sabha polls and not the Assembly. The enemy here is the BJP and we all took oath to fight together and defeat this government.”

In sharp contrast to Mamata’s posture, the Left showed its political maturity and keenness to fight the BJP by saying: “We have not closed the doors nor are we going to take the lead. We have walked the extra mile and joined Rahul Gandhi’s yatra. Now, it is for the Congress to decide whether they want an alliance with us or Mamata. As long as they continue with talks with the Trinamool, we will stay away.” Some Bengal CPM leaders including Mohammad Salim were with Rahul Gandhi as his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra when it passed through Murshidabad.

Banerjee has been persistently following in the footsteps of Modi in attacking Congress, ever since the latter’s leaders did not ask the state president Adhir Choudhary to shut mouth. The keenness of Congress to have an alliance with the TMC is also manifest in Sonia Gandhi deciding to meet Mamata to sort out the seat sharing. However, it appears that Banerjee is more obstinate on this issue than even the Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

Mamata isn’t unaware of the electoral potential of the INDIA bloc and the danger it has been posing to BJP and especially to Modi, but she has been throwing tantrums. Her remarks are getting wide publicity in other states too posing a danger to INDIA bloc’s integrity.

While almost all the opposition leaders have criticised Modi for his wrong remark on Nehru inside the parliament, Mamata has preferred to maintain silence. This latest incident has further put a question mark on her true intent. Quoting an Independence Day speech by Nehru from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Modi said: "Nehru had said 'we do not work as hard the Europeans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians or the Americans. Do not think that these communities became prosperous by some magic. They have achieved this by hardwork and smartness'." "He (Nehru) is giving a certificate to those people to belittle Indians. This shows that Nehru ji's thinking about Indians was that they are lazy and of low intelligence. He did not trust their potential. Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi did not think differently either”.

In a strident attack, the Congress replied: 'Modi being who he is, thinks he is being clever but actually demeans the office he holds. Megalomania and Nehruphobia are a toxic mix that is leading to the Murder Of Democracy in India”. There is no denying that Modi was at his “nonsensical worst” while delivering his speech in the Lok Sabha on Monday that the party described as “low-grade”. (IPA Service)