Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday lambasted the Union Government for “forcing its will” on the State by ordering three senior Indian Police Services (IPS) officers out of Bengal.
The forced transfer order — against the wishes of the State Government — came days after alleged Trinamool Congress hooligans attacked BJP president JP Nadda’s convoy injuring senior leaders like Kailash Vijayvargiya and Mukul Roy while they were travelling to Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas.
An infuriated Chief Minister tweeted, “The Government’s order of Central deputation for the three serving IPS officers of West Bengal despite the State’s objection is a colourable exercise of power and blatant misuse of emergency provision of IPS Cadre Rule 1954,” depicting the act as “nothing but a deliberate attempt to encroach upon State’s jurisdiction and demoralise the serving officers in West Bengal.”
She said, “This move, particularly before the elections is against the basic tenets of the federal structure. It’s unconstitutional and completely unacceptable,” vowing not to allow “this brazen attempt by the Centre to control the State machinery by proxy! West Bengal is not going to be cowed into submission in front of expansionist and undemocratic forces.
Earlier , the Union Home Ministry on Thursday issued a reminder to West Bengal Government to immediately repatriate the three IPS officers to Central deputation by issuing posting orders to them. The three officers — Bhalanath Pandey, SP of Diamond Harbour; Praveen Tripati, DIG of Presidency Range; and Rajeev Mishra, ADG of South Bengal — were responsible for the security of the BJP chief JP Nadda, whose motorcade was attacked by TMC workers.
The MHA said Pandey has been appointed an SP in the Bureau of Police Research and Development, Tripathi as a DIG in the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Mishra an IG in the ITBP. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in the reminder letter to the West Bengal Government and the DGP said that they have failed to adhere to the rules and according to Section 6 (1) of IPS cadre rules — “in case of any disagreement, the Centre’s decision shall prevail”.
The MHA had earlier asked the West Bengal Government to immediately release the three IPS officers for Central deputation.
The three IPS officers include IFP, South Rajeev Kumar, DIG Presidency Range Praveen Tripathy and SP South 24 Parganas Bholanath Pandey. The officers have been deputed on ITBP and SSB duties, sources said.
Soon after the attack took place on December 10, the stated officers were asked to report for Central deputation. But when the State Government refused to release them the Centre used its special powers to seek them back.
The Centre had summoned Bengal’s Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police (DGP) reportedly to explain the law and order situation in the State. The duo, however, would not respond to the Central order saying the attack was being investigated.
Incidentally Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar had prepared a lengthy list of “partisan” bureaucrats and had sent their names to the Centre, sources said.