Mamata vs CBI: West Bengal Chief Minister to continue her dharna overnight, calls PM Modi 'mad'

Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee sat on a 'dharna' in front of Metro Cinema to protest the CBI action against Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar in connection with the Rose Valley and Sarada ponzy scam case on Sunday. Kolkata Police Chief Kumar is also present at the spot.

"West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sitting on her 'Save the Constitution' dharna at Metro Channel, Kolkata. Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar is also present," the news agency ANI reported.

Earlier, Banerjee reached out to Kumar's Loudon Street residence amid a face-off between the Kolkata Police and the CBI. In a dramatic turn of event, a number of CBI officers, who had gone to question Kumar in connection with chit fund cases, were bundled into police jeeps and detained at Shakespeare Sarani police station. However, all five CBI officers that were detained by police at Shakespeare Sarani police station in Kolkata have been released.

The TMC chief also met West Bengal Director General of Police at Kumar's residence and discussed all possible measures to take the situation under their grip. "I am going to stage a dharna to save the federal structure. From today I'm going to sit near the Metro Channel. Tomorrow proceedings in state assembly will take place where I will hold a meeting. This dharna means satyagraha," ANI quoted the CM as saying.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sitting on her 'Save the Constitution' dharna at Metro Channel, Kolkata. Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar is also present. pic.twitter.com/nB6ASQIYFp

— ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2019

Terming the CBI action against Kumar "politically vindictive", the West Bengal chief minister said the BJP is torturing Bengal and is in a desperate attempt to destroy the state just because she organised the January 19 brigade rally to unite the opposition parties in Kolkata.

Banerjee also dubbed Kumar the best police officer in the world and accepted her responsibility to give protection to the force. "Without any notice, you are coming to Kolkata Police Commissioner's house. We could have arrested CBI but we left," Banerjee was quoted as saying outside Kumar's house.

"I will stand with my force. I respect them. I felt very sad today. This is the destruction of the federal structure," the TMC chief went on to claim further.

In the wake of this unprecedented situation, Banerjee has sought support and solidarity from other opposition parties towards her "fight to protect the constitution". The All India Trinamool Congress also decided to stage a state-wide strike against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at 3 pm on Monday. According to sources, senior Congress leader Ahmad Patel has given a detailed report to party chief Rahul Gandhi over the ongoing situation in West Bengal.