Police on Thursday launched search operations at two houses of Trinamool Congress MLA Dilip Mondal in Bishnupur in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district for making "provocative remarks and issuing threats" to BJP workers in a purported video, a senior officer said.
Personnel from the Diamond Harbour Police District, accompanied by central forces, reached the legislator's residence at Pailan area in the morning, he said.
"Searches are being carried out as part of an ongoing investigation based on specific allegations mentioned in FIRs. All necessary steps are being taken in accordance with the law," the police officer told PTI.
In the now-viral videos, Mondal is seen making threatening remarks against BJP workers during a public rally.
Addressing TMC workers in Malanga, South 24 Parganas, Mondal said, "People can't take it if I stare at them too long. How much money and power do they have? Until I teach them (referring to BJP workers) a lesson, I won't rest."
Slamming the Bengal government's demolition drive across Kolkata, Mondal further threatened, "Ask your chief minister who Dilip Mondal is. Ask Arjun Singh and Tapas Roy as well."
The general secretary of the Diamond Harbour BJP unit, Somnath Ray, condemned Mondal's remarks and vowed to respond via legal means. Ray added, "He has forgotten that this is not the old government under Mamata Banerjee. This is a new Bengal. We strongly condemn the manner in which he spoke about the chief minister."
Two FIRs have been registered against the Bishnupur MLA under non-bailable sections, the officer said.
Mondal was not present at his "sprawling" Pailan residence when the police team arrived, he said.
He was, however, reportedly seen in the locality earlier in the morning, the officer said.
"Two mobile phones belonging to the legislator were found at one of his two houses and are being examined as part of the investigation," he said.
The search operation is still underway.
Mondal had won the Bishnupur assembly constituency, defeating BJP's Abhijit Sardar by a margin of 36,925 votes.