Bengal vs CBI: Mamata Banerjee ends 3-day dharna, says will take up the issue in Delhi

Kolkata, Feb 05: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday called off her protest against the CBI's move to raid the residence of Kolkata Police Commissioner.

"We are not stopping the fight, we will take it up in Delhi," announced the chief minister, standing at the side of her Andhra Pradesh counterpart Chandrababu Naidu at the dharna venue in central Kolkata.

The Supreme Court's order is a victory of the common man, democracy and the Constitution, said Banerjee.

"There must be some story behind this. Nobody can dare to speak against (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) Modi. Our's is a mass agitation and we are going to fight it unitedly," the chief minister said.

Opposition leaders like Chandrababu Naidu of TDP, Tejashwi Yadav of RJD and Kanimozhi of DMK had visited her at the dharna spot.Banerjee said she was calling off her protest in consultation with leaders of major opposition parties.

The move came after the Supreme Court cautioned the CBI against using any coercive measure, including arrest, against Rajeev Kumar. Mamata asked the Centre was scared of a police officer.

A political firestorm was raged in West Bengal on Sunday after the Chief Minister launched a sit-in protest against CBI's bid to question Kolkata police chief in the chit fund scam cases. She had declared that her agitation was to save the 'Constitution and country' and it would go on till the goal is achieved.

A CBI team was bodily prevented from entering the residence of Kumar by Kolkata police personnel, bundled into vehicles, and detained. Contingents of West Bengal police also descended on CBI premises in the city, as a furious Mamata Banerjee rushed to Kumar's residence before beginning a dharna opposite Metro Cinema.