Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has once again targeted the BJP Government for politicizing a “traditionally neutral and honorable” autonomous institution like the Union Public Service Commission days after candidates appearing for CAPF officers’ examination were asked politically loaded questions like their opinion on electoral violence in Bengal and an allegedly violent farmers’ movement in north India.
“Though I respect UPSC and have great regard for its traditional neutrality I cannot help saying that the questions asked” in a recent examination was “completely politically motivated … they were asking aspirants’ opinion on Bengal electoral violence, on whether farmers’ agitation was violent and the inadequate oxygen supply in Delhi … I am sure these were BJP’s questions … given by the BJP” in order to assess the aspirants political leanings, Banerjee said.
After Election Commission and National Human Rights Commission now they have targeted the Union Public Service Commission which appointed the country’s top bureaucrats, Banerjee said adding “the BJP is destroying the neutral institutions like UPSC and NHRC.
Banerjee made the comments while announcing relaxations on pandemic restrictions in Bengal.
Apparently referring to the damning report placed by the NHRC in Calcutta High Court holding the Trinamool Congress and its Government responsible for the post-electoral violence in Bengal Banerjee said “like NHRC which has become a tool in the hands of the BJP,” the Centre was trying to control all the autonomous institutions.
“Who are the members of the NHRC … follow their past social media handle and you will understand … one of them is a former ABVP frontline leader … I think he has merely gone by the BJP version and contributed his part to the report,” Banerjee said.
In its report on post-poll violence the NHRC had claimed put up a list of “notorious criminals” and included the names of some of party’s senior leaders including a Minister.
“I am shocked to see such questions appearing in the UPSC papers … tomorrow they may post a photo of a person (read Prime Minister Narendra Modi) that is appearing everywhere asking ‘\who is the only citizen of India … you can see his photograph in vaccine certificates … you can see his presence from earth to sky to space everywhere … why should someone have to carry a the photograph of a person or a party whom he or she does not like?” Banerjee said.
“This examination is just one part of the larger plan to politicize the entire machinery … you go to the Kolkata Airport and you will often fine central force personnel asking you questions as to whether you are a Modi man or a Didi man,” she said.
Subsequently speaking to the media at the SSKM Hospital where three Trinamool Congress youth wing leaders were undergoing treatment after they were attacked by alleged BJP men in Tripura where they had gone to attend party programmes, the Chief Minister said “the BJP Government is suppressing the opposition in that State and neither the opposition nor the media have any scope to express their voices … the journalists who dare to speak are raided or victimised in some other manner … is it a government running.”
Meanwhile the Chief Minister on Thursday declared extended pandemic restrictions till August 31 but with some more relaxations. While the educational institutions will remain closed the night curfew were reduced by two hours.
“In place of 9 pm to 5 am it will now be 11 pm to 5 am,” she said adding local trains would run only after 50 percent villages have been vaccinated. “Local trains will run only after 50 percent of village population mainly in the districts of Nadia, North and South 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Howrah, Burdwan and two Midnapores have from where people come to Kolkata every day been vaccinated,” she said adding “If we get vaccines, we can at least ensure one dose of vaccine for the rural population and then we can allow local trains.”