Nadda convoy attack: MHA summons 3 West Bengal IPS officers to serve in central deputation; confrontation escalates

The three officers were responsible for the security of BJP President JP Nadda during his visit to the state last Thursday when his convoy was attacked

Escalating the confrontation between the Centre and the West Bengal government, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Saturday unilaterally summoned three IPS officers of West Bengal to serve in the central deputation, prompting the Trinamool Congress to describe it as a move to "terrorise" IAS and IPS officers.

This comes against the backdrop of an attack on the convoy of BJP President JP Nadda who was visiting Bengal last Thursday. The three officers -- Bholanath Pandey (SP, Diamond Harbour), Praveen Tripathi (DIG, Presidency Range) and Rajeev Mishra (ADG, South Bengal) -- were responsible for the security of Nadda during his December 9-10 visit.

Sources said the decision to ask the three officers to serve in central deputation was taken under the rules governing All India Services officers. The West Bengal cadre IPS officers were called in view of the security breach that led to the attack on Nadda's convoy.

Read: TMC leader dubs MHA summons over Nadda's convoy attack 'political move'

In normal circumstances, the state government's consent is taken before any All India Service officer is called for deputation at the Centre but the Centre bypassed the Bengal administration as the row is escalating.

With the West Bengal elections due in April-May next year, the political battle for supremacy between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP is intensifying in the state and the latter is hoping to unseat the Mamata Banerjee-led party from power.

In a letter to Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Saturday, senior Trinamool Congress leader Kalyan Banerjee alleged that the "motive is very clear that by taking them (IPS officers), you want to create pressure upon the said three police officers".

He also said in the letter that it is "shameful and dangerous that all laws have been thrown out in the river by your action at the instance of Amit Shah, the BJP leader and Home Minister of India. You are indirectly trying to impose emergency in the state of West Bengal. You are terrorising all IAS and IPS officers of our state."

The move also comes close on the heels of the MHA summoning Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay and Director General of Police Virendra next Monday to explain about the law and order in the state as well as the steps being taken to prevent political violence.

Also read: Centre, West Bengal on collision course over Nadda's convoy attack

The Chief Secretary, however, had already written to the Union Home Secretary urging him to “dispense with” the presence of state government officials at the scheduled meeting.

Banerjee also referred to the summons issued to the Chief Secretary and DGP and claimed that Nadda, a Z-category protectee who was provided with a bulletproof vehicle, proceeded to Diamond Harbour without intimating and obtaining permission from the local police and allowed 50 motorcycles and 30 cars in his convoy.

While asking whether a Z-category protectee is allowed to bring other vehicles in the convoy without permission, he accused Bhalla of being "politically vindictive" at the behest of Shah.

"You (Bhalla) are trying to coerce the officers of West Bengal with political vindictiveness. It appears you are interfering with the federal structure embodied under the scheme of Indian Constitution," Banerjee added.

Soon after the attack on Nadda's convoy on Thursday, the Centre had sought a report from the West Bengal government, which hadn't submitted one as of Friday evening. Governor Jagdeep Dhankar has submitted his report.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had called the incident a "drama" created by the BJP while the Governor targeted the Trinamool Congress saying the law and order situation is deteriorating in the state. Dhankar also said the chief minister should desist from calling the BJP a 'party of outsiders'.

On Thursday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted, "Bengal has descended into an era of tyranny, anarchy and darkness under the Trinamool rule... The manner in which political violence has been institutionalised and brought to the extreme in West Bengal under TMC rule is sad and worrying".

Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla had also spoken to the West Bengal chief secretary on Thursday after Bengal BJP Chief Dilip Ghosh shot off a letter to Shah complaining about the incident.

Ghosh had alleged, "During his (Nadda's) different engagements in Kolkata, it was observed that there were serious lapses on security arrangements, purportedly due to negligence and/or casual approach of the state police department".