No intelligence but state govt halted BJP's Rath Yatra in Bengal: India Today sting

Last year, BJP supremo Amit Shah had planned to kick off state-wide campaign tours from West Bengal's Cooch Behar district on Dec 7, South 24 Parganas on Dec 9, and from Birbhum on Dec 14.

Citing intelligence reports, about threat to communal harmony, the West Bengal government had denied permission for it.

As the political heat grew over the row, India Today's Special Investigation Team penetrated West Bengal's intelligence apparatus to determine how potentially dangerous the proposed Rath Yatra could have been if allowed in the state.

The probe found there was hardly any specific intelligence to justify the ban, reported the news channel.

In West Bengal's Bankura district, J.P. Singh, an officer in charge of intelligence watch, has been caught in camera confessing to the news channel that their report was based on diktats from the top.

"What kind of input you had about it? It's potential to trigger riots?" asked India Today's undercover reporter.

"There was nothing of the sort. If they had permissions, we would have given our protection. But they didn't have any permission," Singh replied.

"But Sir, you must have prepared your report," the reporter probed.

"Yes, that was prepared. Every district prepared it. It's the same all over," he answered. "What I am saying is that the master is only one person not ten people. The report is based on their instructions and sent out accordingly."

He admitted that their dossier on the proposed Yatra was based on vague inputs. "Everything was up in the air," Singh said.

Bappaditya Ghosh, an ACP with the special branch in West Bengal's Paschim Bardhaman district, alleged to India Today both the Trinamool and the BJP were involved in instigating religious passions.

At the same time, he claimed his office had no concrete intelligence about issues that the BJP's Yatra might have caused in the state.

"We were under some political pressure," he alleged. "Political pressure, the law and order situation, the festivals around the time," he told the news channel.

According to the official, his unit reported about "a communal problem" in Paschim Bardhaman district in March, 2018, reported India Today.

"Which means there was no fresh input," asked the India Today reporter.

"No, no. Nothing of the sort," Ghosh replied. "There was no such problem."

The ruling Trinamool Congress has rejected the news channel's report.

"I totally disagree. This is a conspiracy hatched by the leadership of the BJP," Trinamool Congress leader Madan Mitra told India Today.

"You know, unnecessarily, the BJP has not spent Rs 4,000 crore on publicity. So, they have purchased almost all media," he said.

He denied reports that the state intelligence was under pressure to prepare fake reports against the BJP's Rath Yatra.

"We were getting several reports from districts, even (from) the block level, that the BJP is trying to organize communal riots everywhere. So, it is not forged. It is not fake. The reports that have gone from the district level are absolutely true," the TMC leader told the news channel.

Madan Mitra was earlier arrested in connection with the investigation into the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam.

He was later released on bail.

During his stay in the prison, Mitra had spent most of the period in hospital

The BJP has demanded an investigation into the issue.

"This is an issue of purgery committed by the TMC. And we demand an investigation into this," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told India Today TV's Rahul Kanwal.

"Mamata Banerjee is dictatorial didi. They harbour love and concern for Rohingyas. But for PM Modi, Yogi [Adityanath], and Amit Shah are characters that should not be allowed to enter Bengal. And you say you love democracy. No ma'am, you hate democracy. This is India, this is my India, this is your India. Every Indian has every right to travel across the country," he added.