The BJP on Friday accused chief minister Mamata Banerjee of bringing disrepute to the country’s democratic process, alleging that she had committed a serious offence by interfering in an ongoing corruption investigation and should be treated as an accused.

“What happened in Bengal has never happened in independent India. A sitting chief minister intimidating officials and forcibly taking away documents is unethical, unconstitutional and strikes at the very foundation of democracy,” BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said while addressing the media at the party headquarters.

“Interfering in an ongoing corruption probe and forcibly seizing files constitute a punishable offence. Mamata Banerjee is guilty of this grave crime and should be treated as an accused under the law,” he added.

“What is Mamata’s connection with that consultancy firm? I-PAC works for many clients, yet she alone appears anxious when investigations into scams are under way.

“Mamata has been chief minister for 14 years and is fully conversant with the norms of governance. What were the documents that compelled her to blatantly violate rules and intervene during an ongoing raid? This means she was trying to rescue something sensitive implicating her and her party,” Prasad said.