Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee late night thundered that she would not leave Nabanna, the state secretariat, until the central government withdraw armymen from toll plazas near the Secretariat. Talking to mediapersons here at Nabanna tonight, Ms Banerjee said, “Until and unless the army stationed in front of Nabanno, the Bengal state govt secretariat, is withdrawn, I will be staying at my Secretariat to guard our democracy.”
“Very unfortunate. Army stationed in front of Nabanno, the Bengal State Secretariat in a high security zone, inspite of Police objection,” the chief minister said. Ms Banerjee said, “Absolutely wrong and misleading facts by eastern command. We have great respect for you, but please please don't mislead the people,” She said, "Creating a military coup like situation, army personnel have been stationed to several toll plazas in the state, including Vidyasagar Setu toll plaza in front of Nabanna, without informing the government.”
"This is only a politics of revenge, as I'm shouting for people over demonetisation issue. As I'm the guard of the state and democracy, I will be staying at the secretariat till the Centre withdraws army," the chief minister said. Ms Banerjee also alleged that army was collecting money from trucks, after checking those papers and was posting a sticker on vehicles' windscreens. However, denying Chief Minister's allegations, a spokesperson of Indian Army's Eastern Command said that the army personnel had been deployed for a routine survey.
"The army is conducting its annual exercise throughout the country to get statistical data about about the load carriers that could be made available to the army in case of a contingency," the spokesperson added. The Army officials said that army was only marking the goods carriers and noting down those details, not charging any fee or fine.
Trinamool, Mamata drags Army into politics reflects "political frustration": Parrikar
Defence Minister Manohor Parrikar today lashed out at the Trinamool Congress for dragging Army into "political controversy" and asserted that the deployment of Army personnel on toll plaza in Kolkata was done taking West Bengal police into confidence. "I am shocked at the manner a Chief Minister has made observation against the Army.
The allegations only reflect political frustration," Mr Parrikar said in the Lok Sabha during Question Hour after Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay raised the issue of deployment of Army personnel at the toll plaza. "This is a fantastic situation," Mr Bandyopadhyay alleged and said "why Army is being used in this manner". He alleged that Army has been deployed in 19 places in the state, including one at Vidyasagar Plaza, not very far from the Chief Minister's Secretariat 'Nabanya'.
The Defence Minister said the Army deployment in toll plaza was being done in all states in the northeastern states and West Bengal and "similar exercise" was carried out even last year. "Such exercises are being carried out in last 15 years and was already done in the states of Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar," Mr Parrikar said. The Defence Minister said the Kolkata police and local administrations were informed and taken into confidence.
"In fact, the original dates were proposed to be November 28-30 but on the request of police it was postponed to December as November 28 was Bharat Bandh," Mr Parrikar said, adding that even a "joint inspection" of the spot was undertaken by the police and the Army. "The allegations are based on unfounded ground and only reflects political frustration," the Defence Minister said.