The Centre has directed the West Bengal government to accord security cover to 61 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including actor Mithun Chakraborty and Lok Sabha MP Arjun Singh, at whose residence three crude bombs were hurled early on Wednesday.
In a communication to the state chief secretary and director general of police (DGP) on August 31, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) said it decided to provide police protection to the 61 leaders after examining their security arrangement and holding consultations with central agencies.
Besides Chakraborty and Singh, the BJP leaders for whom the MHA has sought state police cover include party state vice-president Mafuja Khatun, Bishnapur MP Saumitra Khan, former Indian Police Service officer Bharti Ghosh, Purulia MP Jyortirmay Mahto, actor-turned-politician Joy Mukherjee, party president of South 24 Parganas district Abhijit Das, former cricketer-turned-politician Ashok Dinda, and party leaders Shankudeb Panda and Lokenath Chatterjee.
“It is impossible for any political leader or activist other than that of TMC to work in Bengal right now because they are attacked in front of the police and that’s why all these leaders need protection,” state BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said.
Responding to the developments, TMC Rajya Sabha member Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said that by sending the letter, the Union government had transgressed into the powers of the state. “Law and order is a state subject. The MHA cannot issue such directions. The state police decide who should be provided protection after evaluating the threat perception. It is not the state’s responsibility to provide security to these people just because they belong to the ruling party at the Centre. If anybody needs protection he or she will have to appeal to the state. The government will take action after evaluating the threat perception,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Responding to the developments, TMC Rajya Sabha member Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said that by sending the letter, the Union government had transgressed into the powers of the state. “Law and order is a state subject. The MHA cannot issue such directions. The state police decide who should be provided protection after evaluating the threat perception. It is not the state’s responsibility to provide security to these people just because they belong to the ruling party at the Centre. If anybody needs protection he or she will have to appeal to the state. The government will take action after evaluating the threat perception,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Of the 61 leaders, several of them were already granted personal security by personnel belonging to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the wake of post-poll violence in most parts of the state after the Trinamool Congress recorded a sweeping victory in the assembly elections this year.
The MHA communication, however, carried no mention of withdrawing the existing security cover provided to the leaders by central forces.
According to officials familiar with VIP security protocols, the state police can provide additional cover, along with CISF and CRPF, to the leaders till there is more clarity on the MHA communication.
Bengal additional DGP, law and order, Jawed Shamim refused to comment on the matter.
After the election results were announced on May 2, widespread violence was reported across Bengal with the BJP accusing the ruling party of targeting its leaders and cadres. The BJP claimed that 14 of its party workers were killed by TMC workers while hundreds were forced to flee as their workplaces were set ablaze and family members attacked.
The BJP had won only 77 seats in the 294-seat assembly as chief minister Mamata Banerjee returned to power with a landslide victory.
Following an assessment of threat to BJP’s elected representatives, the MHA had accorded personal security to all 77 MLAs. BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, who defeated chief minister Mamata Banerjee from Nandigram seat, was accorded the second highest ‘Z’ category security cover from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
Under the Z category, a VIP is usually provided with 35 to 40 commandos on rotational basis depending on the threat perception.
At least 61 legislators were given X category cover of CISF from May 10 in view of the violence. Under the X category cover, three to five armed commandos are deployed to protect each MLA during travel in the state.
Others are already enjoying the central security cover under the Y category, which comprises 10-12 men.
All allegations of post-poll violence are now being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation and a Special Investigation Team on the directions of Calcutta high court.