Arrest me, I challenge you: Mamata dares Modi govt

Kolaghat: Upping the ante against the Modi government, which she has been targeting over demonetisation, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday dared the Centre to arrest her and warned it against "touching" state government officers.

"You don't have to touch anybody. You arrest me. I challenge you, if you have the guts you arrest all of us, nothing will deter us from raising out voice against demonetisation.

"Demonetisation is a big scam. We want to know what is the deal. We will say it thousand times," she told a public meeting here.

Banerjee alleged that to weaken the state governments, the Centre was targeting its officers warning, "If you try to touch any of our officers, you will not be allowed to go scot-free. You have the laws, the state government too has laws in its hands."

"We must win the battle as people are with us. As long as I live, I shall fight alone if required," she said.

Earlier in the day, she criticised the Modi government over the I-T raid at the residence of Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary P Rama Mohana Rao, saying such a "vindictive and unethical" act by the central agencies devalued the institution of head of the civil service.

"Why this vindictive, unethical, technically improper action? Is it only to disturb the federal structure? Why do not they raid Amit Shah and others," she said.

Attacking the Centre, she said," They pose as sages and are dubbing others as thieves."

Strongly criticising the "harassment of opposition leaders, government officials and general people by the central agencies like CBI, ED and IT", Banerjee said such actions would not deter her from criticising it.