Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday lashed out at the BJP over its alleged nexus with central agencies like the NIA and the CBI, accusing them of coercing Trinamul leaders and workers either to join the saffron camp or face consequences in the run-up to the crucial general election.

“NIA and CBI are the BJP’s bhai-bhai (brothers). ED and income tax (department) are the BJP’s funding box. They are intimidating Trinamul and other Opposition leaders to either join the BJP or get arrested. Have you ever witnessed such a situation in our country?” Mamata asked a crowd of around 30,000 from an election campaign rally in Purulia’s Hura on Sunday afternoon.

Mamata again repeated her accusation against the NIA team over Saturday’s attack on them in East Midnapore’s Bhupatinagar and stood by villagers for protesting against raids by the central agency.

“Late at night, when women are asleep in their houses, they (the BJP) have been sending NIA officials in police uniform without prior information to local law enforcers. Earlier, many goons wearing police uniforms tortured people in places like Nandigram and Singur. How will our mothers and sisters differentiate?” Mamata asked the crowd in Hura, 17km from Purulia town.

“They (the NIA) lodged a case against the mothers and sisters who protested against (the NIA’s raid to arrest Trinamul workers) there (Bhupatinagar),” she added.

She lambasted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the alleged "agency raj" and claimed “Modi ki guarantee” was a guarantee of “misusing” central agencies against the Opposition.

“While unemployment is increasing across the country, the prime minister is going around and talking about his guarantee. In reality, his guarantee is demonetisation, misuse of central agencies like the CBI, the NIA and the ED, and withholding funds of the poor people,” said the chief minister, urging the people of Purulia to vote for her party, where the BJP MP Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato won by a margin of over two lakh votes in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Mamata’s acquisition of the central agencies was deemed significant at a time when her party colleagues Chandrima Bhattacharya and Kunal Ghosh visited Bhupatinagar and reassured villagers that the party would give all possible legal support to those arrested by the NIA.

Mamata claimed that she had information that the NIA officials visited hotels in Purulia, before her campaign rally, to find out the boarders in a bid to spot her party leaders.

“Is this the job of the NIA? The BJP directed them (central agencies to arrest all booth agents and Trinamul candidates before the Lok Sabha elections). We would not tolerate such practice,” said Mamata before asking her party leaders of Purulia to ready three party workers in each polling booth if one or two agents were arrested by central agencies.

Mamata also urged the Election Commission of India to work impartially.

“I salute the Election Commission in advance today as the BJP salutes them every day. We want you to work impartially. If the biggest democracy in the world is ruined, then people across the globe will not forgive you,” Mamata said. “We love our country and that is why we are not opening our mouths. If we speak, you (the EC) will be exposed,” she added before ending her 30-minute speech.