I openly challenge him to arrest me. Let me see his guts: Mamata Banerjee

Mamata Banerjee said their protest will continue despite arrest of (right) Sudip Bandopadhyay. Pics/PTI

Kolkata: Stung by the arrest of Trinamool Congress parliamentary party leader in the Lok Sabha, Sudip Bandopadhyay in connection with the alleged Rose Valley chit fund scam, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using CBI, ED and Income Tax department against those who raised voice against demonetisation and dared him to arrest her and all TMC MPs.

She asserted that their protest against note ban would continue. "I just can't think that Sudip Bandopadhyay, who is our party's leader in the Lok Sabha will be arrested. I also have information that Modi wants to arrest many other TMC leaders like Abhishek Banerjee, Sovan Chatterjee (city mayor) and Firhad Hakim (minister)," she told reporters immediately after Sudip's arrest by the CBI.

"I am shocked, but not scared. Let him arrest all of us. I openly challenge him to arrest me. Let me see his guts. He may silence others, but not me. He can't suppress our voice. He can't bulldoze people's voice," she said.

"We will fight legal battle in every case," she said. TMC will launch dharnas to protest against Sudip's arrest from tomorrow, she said.

The CBI yesterday arrested Bandopadhyay in connection with the alleged Rose Valley chit fund scam, the second of a party MP within a week.

Bandopadhyay, who arrived at the CBI office here at around 11 am, was subjected to more than four hours of intensive interrogation by CBI, after which he was arrested.

The TMC MP had been summoned thrice earlier by the investigation agency.

His arrest in the alleged Rose Valley scam came close on the heels of the arrest of another Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Pal on Friday. Paul, an actor-turned politician, is now in the CBI custody in Bhubaneshwar.