It's Bengal Police Vs BJP's Amit Malviya In Big Social Media Debate Over Arrest Of Bengaluru Blast Suspects

The arrest of two suspects in last month’s Bengaluru blast from near Kolkata has triggered a big social media debate, with the West Bengal Police and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Malviya engaging in a war of words.

Soon after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) picked up the two suspects from East Medinipur district’s Kanthi on Friday, Malviya posted on X (previously Twitter) that “West Bengal, unfortunately, under Mamata Banerjee, has become a safe haven for terrorists”.

In Friday’s early-morning operation, officials detained the key accused who is believed to have carried out the blast at Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe on March 1 and the suspected co-conspirator in a big breakthrough.

“NIA [National Investigation Agency] detains two chief suspects in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast, bomber Mussavir Hussain Shazib and accomplice Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa, from Kolkata. Both likely belong to ISIS cell in Shivamogga, Karnataka,” Malviya’s post said.

The West Bengal Police’s reply was prompt. “Falsehood at its worst!” their post on X said.

“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.”

“The proactive role of WBP in the matter has been officially acknowledged by the Central Agencies,” it said in another post, a possible reference to an NIA statement that mentioned a “coordinated action and co-operation between NIA, Central Intelligence agencies and State Police agencies of West Bengal, Telangana, Karnataka, and Kerala police”.

“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 police’s post added.

Malviya was quick to hit back, accusing CM Banerjee of “hiding behind” the state’s police force.

“Who is the Chief Minister and Home Minister of West Bengal? Has Mamata Banerjee resigned or too incompetent to defend her poor track record on law and order? Every time she has no answers, which is often, she hides behind @WBPolice,” he said, tagging West Bengal Police.

Later, from an election rally in Bengal, Banerjee too joined the debate. She said the “accused who were hiding here for two hours —and within two hours they were arrested due to a prompt response by our state police”.

Shesh Paul Vaid, former Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police, congratulated NIA for the big breakthrough in the case.

“NIA arresting both accused from their Kolkata hideout. Well done, boys. About time legal action was taken against so-called fact checkers & political leaders who tried their best to fake it as a cylinder blast. Time to name & shame such miserable people who do more harm than good,” he posted.