The Trinamool Congress leadership on Saturday said the Union Home Ministry has sent a letter to the West Bengal government asking them to attach three IPS officers who were deployed during the J.P. Nadda visit to the Diamond Harbour and send them for deputation. The party described the communication as an attempt to put pressure on the police and bureaucracy of the State.
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The development comes a day after the Union Home Ministry has issued summons to the Chief Secretary and the DGP to attend a meeting in Delhi on the law-and-order. The Chief Secretary has sought an exemption from appearing in it.
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“Now I come to another letter, 11 December 2020, whereby you named three IPS officers for Central deputation. All the three IPS officers were deployed by 10th December 2020 at the place of occurrence. Your motive is clear that by taking them you want create pressure upon them,” said TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee in a letter written to Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Saturday.
Later in the day, the TMC held a press conference saying the Centre can send a request for deputation but the State has the authority whether to release the officials or not. “The provisions are quite clear. The IAS/IPS officers are governed by Article 312. After they are selected, they are allotted States and made their cadre. They may go to the Centre on deputation but the Centre has to ask for names from the State government and then the State has to give them clarification...unless the State releases them, they cannot go,” senior leader Saugata Roy said.
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Sources in the State government said the three officers are the SP, Diamond Harbour police district, the DIG Presidency Range and the IG, South Bengal. Like the Centre’s directive to attend the meeting on the law-and-order, the State government is likely to turn down the request of the Centre.
Political vindictiveness alleged
Earlier in the day, in his letter Mr. Banerjee said law and order is within the domain of the State under the 7th Schedule of the Constitution. “How can you call both the officers for any sort of discussion on in respect of law-and-order ? Can you, under the Constitution and any other law, intervene,” he asked.
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The TMC lawmaker charged the Union Home Ministry with political vindictiveness.
“You are trying to coerce the officers of the State. It also appears you are interfering with the federal structure embodied under the scheme of the Constitution.” The BJP leadership said Mr. Banerjee has no authority to write to the Union Home Secretary.
