West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday blasted the central government for ordering transfer of three top officers, calling it a brazen attempt to control her state by proxy.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo said the centre’s move, ahead of next years election, was against the tenets of a federal structure.
The three Indian Police Service (IPS) officers were asked to report for central deputation a day after an attack on BJP president JP Nadda’s convoy near Kolkata last week.
After Bengal refused to send them, the Union Home Ministry on Thursday sent another letter asking the Mamata Banerjee government to relieve the three officers at the earliest.
“The government’s order of central deputation for the three serving IPS officers of West Bengal despite the state’s objection is a colourable exercise of power and blatant misuse of emergency provision of IPS Cadre Rule 1954,” the Chief Minister tweeted.
“This act is nothing but a deliberate attempt to encroach upon State’s jurisdiction and demoralize the serving officers in West Bengal. This move, particularly before the elections is against the basic tenets of the federal structure. It’s unconstitutional and completely unacceptable,” she wrote.
“We wouldn’t allow this brazen attempt by the centre to control the state machinery by proxy! West Bengal is not going to cow down in front of expansionist and undemocratic forces,” the TMC chief tweeted.