West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee dares Centre to impose President’s rule in state

Accusing the Centre of trying to intimidate her government by transferring state cadre officers, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said that the Centre was interfering in the state government’s jurisdiction. She also dared the Centre to impose President‘s rule in the state.

“If the BJP and the Centre think that they can intimidate us by deploying Central forces and transferring our officers, they are living in fool’s paradise,” said Mamata. She was addressing a rally in Jalpaiguri district in North Bengal.

Her comments come days after the Centre asked the state government to send three IPS officers, who were in charge of BJP President J P Nadda’s security during his visit to Bengal, to be sent to Central deputation.

Banerjee also said that no one had tried to attack BJP President J P Nadda’s convoy.

“Why were so many cars in his convoy? Why were criminals accompanying him? These criminals were responsible for vandalising Vidyasagar’s statue (during the last phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections)...I dare the Centre to impose President’s rule in Bengal,” said Mamata.

Referring to BJP MP Subramanian Swamy's letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a change in the national anthem, the chief minister said that the people of Bengal would give the BJP a befitting reply if they try to go ahead with any such move.

“First, they (BJP) tried to change the history of the country and now they want to change the national anthem,” said Mamata.

Without directly mentioning the AIMIM, the TMC supremo said that the BJP “pays that party from Hyderabad” and has brought it to Bengal. She accused the AIMIM of splitting minority votes to give advantage to the BJP.

“They (AIMIM) will take the Muslim votes and the BJP will take the Hindu votes? And what will I do? Sit idle?” said Mamata.

As for the NRC issue, the chief minister said that there was nothing to worry about as the state government recognised all the refugee colonies in Bengal.

The chief minister alleged that whenever election approaches, the BJP comes up with the promise of creating the separate state of Gorkhaland and said that only the TMC can provide a “permanent political solution” for the issue.

Lashing out at potential defectors, Banerjee said that she would not tolerate those who had been taken all kinds of advantages from the party and the government for 10 years and oppose the party ahead of elections by colluding with others.