West Bengal’s chief secretary informed the union’s Home Office on Friday that he and other state officials will not visit Delhi in compliance with the subpoena issued to them, as the state government took a defiant stance following an attack on the president’s convoy. from the BJP, JP Nadda in Kolkata on Thursday.
In a letter, senior bureaucrat Alapan Bandyopadhyay informed the Interior Ministry that the state government is already taking the issue “with the utmost seriousness.” Three cases have been filed for the attack and seven people have been arrested, he wrote, as he told the Center that he had been ordered to request the Center “to dispense with the presence of state officials” at the meeting called by the union at home. . secretary on December 14.
The chief secretary also referred to reports that proper security arrangements were not made for Nadda, a Z-category protégé, and said she was given a bulletproof car, an escort vehicle and security officers. A DIG was also placed to oversee security, “along with four SPs, eight deputy SPs, 14 inspectors, 70 sub-inspectors, 40 RAF members, 259 officers and 350 other forces” along the route taken by Nadda.
He said this was in addition to the arrangements made by the Center, but noted that the tagging of several vehicles to Nadda’s convoy made the “situation difficult to handle.”
Nadda’s convoy was reportedly attacked by supporters of the Trinamool Congress in the 24-Parganas district of southern West Bengal as the BJP chief was on his way to attend a demonstration on Thursday. The enraged crowd had also attacked other vehicles of senior BJP leaders such as National Secretary General Kailash Vijayvargiya, National Vice President Mukul Roy and Anupam Hazra in the convoy.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called the entire incident “drama” and said it was organized by the saffron brigade to attract political attention ahead of the state assembly elections.
The TMC also attacked the union’s Interior Ministry for the subpoena and accused the saffron party of trying to create a situation in which the Center could interfere in state-related matters. High-ranking TMC deputies Saugata Roy and Kalyan Banerjee alleged that Nadda’s convoy had “convicted criminals and thugs” who carried weapons with the malicious intention of instigating violence.
“What the central government is doing by sending a letter (requesting a report) from the state government is unconstitutional. It is unacceptable that the MHA summons the secretary general and the DGP.” with the federal structure, “Banerjee said at a news conference.
The provocative speeches by BJP state chairman Dilip Ghosh are leading to a “vicious” situation, he said, claiming that Nadda was accompanied by “convicted criminals and gunmen belonging to the BJP.”
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