JOIN USTMC leader dubs MHA summons over Nadda's convoy attack 'political move'
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Kalyan Banerjee has written to Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla over a letter from latter's office summoning Chief Secretary and Director General of Police of West Bengal on December 14, to discuss law and order situation in the state.
Banerjee, in the letter, has alleged that the summons seems to be with "political motive."
@AITCofficial MP @KBanerjee_AITC writes to Union Home Secretary on the Centre's summon to West Bengal CS & DGP to discuss the law & order situation in Bengal after attack on @BJP4India president @JPNadda. States that the summon seems to be with "political motive." @DeccanHerald pic.twitter.com/myUKwSCOV1
— Soumya Das (@Soumyareporting) December 12, 2020
Kalyan Banerjee, the chief whip of the Trinamool Congress in Lok Sabha, alleged that the Centre was resorting to coercive means to intimidate the state administration, and the top officials were summoned at the instance of the Union Home Minister.
"We want to inform you that law and order is within the domain of the state under 7th Schedule of the State list...How in respect of the law and order situation you can call both the officers for any sorts of discussion?" he asked.
He said that in respect of law and order, the state government is accountable to the legislative assembly "but not to you or to your home minister".
"It appears that with a political motive and at the instance of your minister, who is a political person belonging to Bharatiya Janata Party, you have issued the said letter. You are trying to coerce the officers of West Bengal with political vindictiveness. It appears you are interfering with the federal structure," Banerjee added.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday, a day after JP Nadda's convoy was attacked in West Bengal, had summoned West Bengal’s chief secretary and police chief on December 14 for an explanation on the law and order situation in the state.
Banerjee also claimed that a person, who is a convict in a case and named in 59 other criminal cases, was in the convoy of Nadda on December 10 and "made provocative gestures" to the TMC supporters standing on the roadside.
The MHA summon came following a report submitted by West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar on the incident that took place in Kolkata's Diamond Harbour, the Lok Sabha constituency of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee, on Thursday. Nadda's convoy was attacked with stones and sticks and Dhankar had alleged that violators had the protection of the state government.
The chief secretary wrote to the Union home secretary, saying that he has been directed to request to "dispense with the presence of the state officials" in the meeting convened on December 14.
(With inputs from agencies)