Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dilip Ghosh on Thursday alleged security lapse during party president JP Nadda’s visit to West Bengal. He said he has written to Union home minister Amit Shah and the state administration over the same. Ghosh alleged serious security lapses surrounding Nadda’s programmes on Wednesday.
“Today during his different engagement in Kolkata, it was observed that there was serious lapses on security arrangements, purportedly due to negligence and/or casual approach of the State Police Department. At our party office at Hestings, Kolkata, there was a mob of 200 plus with sticks, bamboos etc. demonstrating raising black flags. Some of them climbed on the cars parked outside the office and raised slogans. Police did not intervene to stop them and casually allowed them to come within a close perimeter of Nadda Ji’s vehicle,” Ghosh wrote in a letter.
Ghosh alleged that during the whole day’s program, the pilot car provided by the state police did not create a smooth and safe passage for Nadda for travelling from one place to other, adding that his convoy was stopped at many traffic lights, causing serious concern for potential security hazards.
“This has also been noticed that there exists complete violation on the part of West Bengal Government to ensure full security arrangements as per Government Protocol which are immediately concerned with the visit of Sri JP Nadda, a Z category of security covered by CRPF,” Ghosh said.
{{/usCountry}}“This has also been noticed that there exists complete violation on the part of West Bengal Government to ensure full security arrangements as per Government Protocol which are immediately concerned with the visit of Sri JP Nadda, a Z category of security covered by CRPF,” Ghosh said.
{{/usCountry}}On Thursday, there will be a day-long programme at Diamond Harbour. “Our party karyakartas have informed us that tomorrow (Thursday) also the goons of TMC are planning to do big protest in multiple places on the way towards Diamond Harbour from New Town. We have already informed the West Bengal Home Secretary and the SP of the Soth 24 Parganas district to arrange adequate security cover for our National President. Unfortunately the State Police Department is non-committal about this serious aspect,” Ghosh said.
Ghosh has requested Shah and the Bengal administration to issue required directives to the state home secretary on the matter of extending and providing adequate security cover during today’s programmes.
Nadda is on a two-day tour of West Bengal to participate in various programmes targeted at strengthening the party’s cadre as well as its presence at the booth level.
He is expected to camp in Diamond Harbour, another TMC stronghold, adjacent to Kolkata in south Bengal. Diamond Harbour is Abhishek Banerjee’s constituency, who is TMC MP and nephew of the chief minister. The BJP president will address a press conference and also party cadres and will interact with members of the fishermen community.
Nadda’s tour is part of his 120-day national tour that is aimed at strengthening the party’s presence across the country.