Is Trinamool Creating Legal and Political Plans to Address CBI Charge Sheet in Bengal's 2021 Post-Poll Violence?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Legal Strategies: The Trinamool Congress is consulting legal experts to challenge the charge sheet.
- Political Maneuvering: The party is also strategizing politically to counter the narrative of political vengeance.
- Health Concerns: MLA Paresh Paul's health issues are a focal point in discussions about the timing of the charges.
- Election Implications: The upcoming Assembly elections are influencing the party's response to the CBI's actions.
- Accusation Timing: The late inclusion of names in the charge sheet raises questions about motivations behind the charges.
Kolkata, July 4 (NationPress) Following the identification of one MLA and two councillors as accused in the recent supplementary charge sheet submitted by the CBI regarding the 2021 West Bengal post-poll violence, the Trinamool Congress is reportedly devising a dual strategy—both legal and political—to respond to this situation.
The MLA implicated in this latest supplementary charge sheet is Paresh Paul, the representative for the Beliaghata Assembly constituency in North Kolkata.
The two councillors from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) are Swapan Samaddar from ward number 58 and Papiya Ghosh from ward number 30, with Samaddar also serving as a member of the mayor-in-council for KMC.
“As soon as it was revealed that their names were included in the CBI's latest supplementary charge sheet, all three reached out to the party leadership for guidance on how to proceed. While legal experts within the party are being consulted to explore options for legally challenging the allegations in a special court in Kolkata, strategies are also being developed to address the narrative of 'political vengeance,'” a senior state cabinet member confirmed.
One immediate legal avenue being considered is filing a petition to seek the removal of their names from the charge sheet's list of accused.
“Our legal team is assessing the feasibility of this approach, and once approval is granted, all three will promptly submit the exclusion petition in the special court,” stated the cabinet member.
“In terms of political strategy, we question why the names of Paul, Samaddar, and Ghosh have appeared in the charge sheet at such a late stage, just under a year before the state Assembly elections. Paul, who is in his seventies, is dealing with multiple health issues and is unable to attend Assembly sessions. This move appears to be an attempt to intimidate our leaders and instill fear ahead of the elections,” the cabinet member added.
Samaddar affirmed that the direction of his future actions will depend on the guidance received from both his legal advisors and the party leadership.