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By: Express Web Desk | New Delhi |
Updated: December 12, 2020 9:36:31 pm
South 24 Pargana: A vehicle of BJP National President JP Nadda's convoy damaged after stone-pelting by alleged TMC activists at Sirakal near Diamond Harbour, in South 24 Pargana, Thursday, Dec 10, 2020. (PTI Photo)The Centre on Saturday summoned three IPS officers of West Bengal– responsible for the security of BJP president JP Nadda– to serve in central deputation, days after the motorcade of the party chief was attacked allegedly by Trinamool Congress supporters.
“Three Indian Police Service officers belonging to the West Bengal cadre have been called to serve in central deputation in view of the lapses that allegedly led to the attack on Nadda’s convoy in West Bengal,” news agency PTI quoted a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) official as saying.
The development comes a day after the MHA summoned Chief Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay and DGP Virendra asking them to present themselves on December 14 for an explanation on the law and order situation in the state, following Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar’s report on the attack on Nadda’s convoy.
WATCH | Stones hurled at vehicle of BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya in West Bengal pic.twitter.com/TORSzQwjUz
Terming it a “political move” by the Centre, senior Trinamool Congress lawmaker Kalyan Banerjee wrote to Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, saying that law and order is a state subject. Banerjee 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 Home Minister Amit Shah.
Usually, the state government’s consent is taken before any all India service officer is called to serve in the central deputation.
On Thursday, the motorcade of Nadda was attacked with stones and sticks outside Kolkata. Eight BJP workers were admitted to hospital and senior party leaders Kailash Vijayvargiya and Mukul Roy suffered minor injuries. Several cars in the convoy, which was headed to Diamond Harbour, the Lok Sabha constituency of Abhishek Banerjee, nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, were damaged.
The Centre subsequently sought a report on the attack from the West Bengal government, and a separate report from the Governor on the law and order situation in the state.
While the saffron party has accused the TMC of carrying out the attack on Nadda’s convoy, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has claimed the attack was a “drama” staged by the BJP to attract attention in the run-up to next year’s state elections.
In Kolkata, the West Bengal Police said in a report to the Chief Minister that the attack on Nadda’s convoy was the result of “provocation”, and that barring the “10-15 minutes” of trouble at Sirakol in South 24-Parganas district, the rest of the journey to Diamond Harbour from Kolkata was peaceful.