Political row erupts between BJP and Mamata Banerjee over arrest of Bengaluru Cafe blast suspects

A political war of words began between BJP and Mamata Banerjee after National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday arrested two prime suspects in the Bengaluru Rameshwaram Cafe blast case from the state. 

After the arrest was announced, BJP leader Amit Malviya attacked the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, saying the state had become a “safe haven for terrorists.”

Mamata Banerjee slammed the saffron party while praising the “prompt response” by the state police saying they caught the culprits in just two hours.

“NIA detains two chief suspects in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast, Mussavir Hussain Shazib and accomplice Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa, from Kolkata. Both likely belong to ISIS cell in Shivamogga, Karnataka. West Bengal, unfortunately, under Mamata Banerjee, has become a safe haven for terrorists,” BJP leader Amit Malviya said in a post on X.

Two prime suspects identified as Mussavir Hussain Shazib and Adbul Matheen Taha were arrested from Purba Medinipur district on Friday for their alleged involvement in the blast at the Bengaluru cafe on March 1 that left nine people injured.

They [BJP] have a propaganda specialist. The blast took place in Bengaluru. Even the accused persons hail from Karnataka. They are not from Bengal. They hid in Bengal for two hours and our police apprehended them in two hours,” West Bengal CM Banerjee said at an election rally in Cooch Behar.

West Bengal police also responded to Malviya’s tweet and put out a statement on X which read, ““Falsehood at its worst! Contrary to the claims made by @amitmalviya, the fact is that, two suspects in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case have been arrested from Purba Medinipur in a JOINT operation by the West Bengal Police and the Central Intelligence Agencies,” it said.

“West Bengal has NEVER been a safe haven for terrorists and the state police will continue to remain ever-vigilant in keeping its people safe from nefarious activities. The proactive role of WBP in the matter has been officially acknowledged by the Central Agencies,” the post added.

BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar also claimed that Bengal was the “epicenter of all terror activities” and had become “a hindrance in national security”.

However, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh and congratulated the West Bengal Police and alleged that it was a BJP leader’s family that was running illegal activities from Contai in Purba Medinipur district.