Mamata Banerjee reiterates support to Alapan Bandyopadhyay after show cause notice

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday reiterated her support to her newly appointed Chief Advisor Alapan Bandyopadhyay and said the state government will always stand beside him after the Centre issued a show-cause notice to him under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

"He (Alapan Bandyopadhyay) has retired. The government will always stand beside him," said Banerjee when asked about show-cause notice to Bandyopadhyay, who is also former West Bengal Chief Secretary.

Earlier today, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee also hit out at the Centre for issuing a show-cause notice to Bandyopadhyay and questioned why Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are not prosecuted for the same.

"Those who are protesting under the pretext of dealing with the disaster are responsible first. The Disaster Management Act should be enforced by the officials in charge of elections. It should be enforced against the Home Minister and the Prime Minister (for campaigning during a pandemic). It should also be applied against all political parties including us. The Disaster Management Act should be applied to the Election Commissioner," said Banerjee.On Tuesday, just a day after being appointed as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Chief Advisor, Bandyopadhyay was issued a show-cause notice by the central government under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 asking him to write within three days.

On Monday also, a show-cause notice was served to Alapan Bandyopadhyay for failing to report to the Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT) as directed by the central government.

Bandyopadhyay was to retire on May 31 and had earlier been given three months extension.

The Central government had on Friday issued an order to recall Bandyopadhyay, and said the placement of his services with the government has been approved.

The state government was asked to relieve the officer with immediate effect and he was directed to report to North Block by May 31.

The development took place after Banerjee along with the state chief secretary skipped the review meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday aftermath of Cyclone Yaas.

Banerjee had on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw the Central government's order to recall Bandyopadhyay. Later on Monday, she said Bandyopadhyay has retired from service and will not join in Delhi and has been made Chief Advisor

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had held a review meeting at Kalaikunda in Paschim Medinipur district to take stock of the post-cyclonic situation. Mamata Banerjee was supposed to attend the meeting.

However, she arrived late by 30 minutes and handed him over reports of damage caused by the impact of Cyclone Yaas. Following this, she and the state chief secretary left for her "pre-scheduled" meeting at Digha.

( With inputs from ANI )

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