Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said she had no objection to a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the explosion at the illegal firework manufacturing unit near Egra in East Midnapore.

Her statement was a marked departure from her usual approach to even the slightest suggestion of a central agency investigation in Bengal.

“Those among my friends who have already demanded an NIA probe, let me clarify my stand, that we have no objection. The subject is not political but it is a question of humanity. If the NIA wants to take over the case, let them probe it. We want the truth to come out,” said Mamata during a news conference at state secretariat Nabanna.

The BJP and the CPM had sought the NIA probe.

Mamata’s willingness to have an NIA probe assumes significance as she regularly criticises the saffron regime for assigning central agencies to probe matters in Bengal simply because, according to her, a sternly anti-BJP party rules the state.

Sources in the Trinamul Congress attributed her pro-NIA stand on the blast to her knowledge of “zero involvement” of the party in the incident and the “substantial culpability” of the BJP, which dominates numerous pockets of East Midnapore — the home turf of the leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari.

Leader of the Opposition Adhikari demanded the NIA probe in a social media post. State BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar wrote to Union home minister Amit Shah seeking the NIA investigation.

Mamata also ordered a departmental probe against the officer-in-charge of Egra police station.

“The local police had to collect intelligence reports on the firework unit...,” said Mamata.

She announced a compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh each for the injured.

The chief minister asked the police to find all such illegal units and close them down as soon as possible.

Mamata did, however, stress the need for the central agency to find the actual culprits and reveal the truth about why a closed firework unit was reopened.

Before Mamata welcomed the NIA probe, her government had handed over thecase to the CID and additional director-general (Counter Insurgency Force) Gyanwant Singh was sent to thespot.