Mamata fumes after Kolkata Police band denied entry to Raj Bhavan for Republic Day event

Kolkata: The ‘At Home’ reception at Kolkata's Raj Bhavan on the occasion of the 76th Republic Day celebrations was marred by a brief fiasco on Sunday when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee decided to protest after the band of Kolkata Police was not allowed to enter there, unlike that of the central paramilitary force, who were performing inside the Raj Bhavan premises during that time.

Banerjee was about to enter the Raj Bhavan to attend the At Home reception hosted by Governor C V Ananda Bose when she noticed that the personnel of the Kolkata Police band were waiting as they were not allowed entry inside to perform. The band of a central paramilitary force was performing there at that time.

“The Kolkata Police band performs at this event every year. Why were they not allowed inside this time?” she asked and added: “This is very bad”.

The Raj Bhavan officials, however, got into action and the Kolkata Police band was allowed in to performe later.

Sandeep Kr Singh, Officer on Special Duty at the Raj Bhavan, said that the Kolkata Police band was assigned a space to perform that was different from the usual practice. “When this was pointed out, I intervened and called the police band and gave them a suitable place where they continued to perform,” he said.

The chief minister listened to the Kolkata Police band for some time.

Singh later reported this to the Governor, who ordered that any departure from precedence on ceremonial occasions should be done only with the prior approval of the Raj Bhavan Chief of Staff.