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TMC MP claims pulling out 3 IPS officers from Bengal akin to ‘indirect emergency’
The Centre has asked WB chief secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay and director general of police to appear before it on December 14 over the issue of lapse in security of BJP president JP Nadda’s convoy.
Alleging political vendetta, the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central government a day after the Union home ministry called three Indian Police Service (IPS) officers back on central deputation.
“The centre is indirectly trying to impose emergency and is keeping IAS and IPS officers under coercion. The three IPS officers were on duty that day (on December 10 when Nadda’s convoy was attacked) and yesterday. They received letters from the MHA. The vindictive attitude is clear,” said Kalyan Banerjee, senior advocate and the chief whip of the TMC in the Lok Sabha.
The Union home ministry on Saturday called three IPS officers, responsible for Nadda’s security, back on central deputation from West Bengal. The move comes in the backdrop of a BJP convoy, including Nadda’s vehicle, being attacked in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.
“The convoy of a person enjoying Z-category security has a pilot car and a tail car. If any other vehicle wants to enter that convoy the local police needs to be informed and permission needs to be taken. Here no permission was taken. There were 50 two-wheelers and as many cars ahead and behind Nadda’s convoy,” said Banerjee in a letter written to Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla.
Leaders of the BJP’s Bengal unit hit back at Banerjee saying that he has no jurisdiction over the issue as it relates to the relation between the Centre and the state.
“Who is Banerjee? Is he someone from the state government? No. Is he someone from the centre? No. He is an MP of the state’s ruling party. What is he trying to prove? Is it so that the chief minister has no answer and that’s why she is asking her MPs, who is not related to the matter, to respond? The letter might have been thrown into the dustbin by now.
The Centre had on Friday asked chief secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay and director general of police Virendra to appear before it on December 14.
“Under no law, can the centre summon the officers. The executive powers of the Union government can only be exercised only in cases under the union list and concurrent list. Law and order is in the state list of the seventh schedule. The executive power can’t be exercised here,” Banerjee had said.
The TMC MP has sent a letter to Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla protesting the MHA’s letter which asked the state chief secretary to release three IPS officers for central deputation.
He alleged that that the Union home secretary sought meeting with the state’s chief secretary and director general of police on the instructions of Union home minister Amit Shah.
“It is shameful and dangerous that all laws have been thrown out in the river by your action at the instance of Amit Shah, BJP leader and home minister of India. Your every path suffers from mala fide exercise of power,” Banerjee wrote in the letter.
