With the central government deciding to call three IPS officers from West Bengal for central deputation after attack on BJP president JP Nadda's convoy, Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Roy on Saturday said that Centre may ask for names of officers to be sent on deputation but it is up to the state to release them or not.
"IAS/IPS officers are governed by Article 312 of Constitution, after being selected for a post they are assigned a state cadre. Centre may ask for names of officers to be sent on deputation. Then it up to the state to release them or not. The State has this option. That is the normal procedure," Roy said at a press conference here.
The convoy of Nadda, who was on a two-day visit to West Bengal, was attacked on Thursday and several BJP leaders including Kailash Vijayvargiya were injured when protesters pelted stones at their vehicles at Diamond Harbour.
The Ministry of Home Affairs had on Friday summoned state Chief Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay and Director General of Police (DGP) Virendra over the law and order situation in the state. However, the West Bengal government decided not to send them.
Party leader Kalyan Banerjee, MP, also wrote to Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Saturday and said West Bengal's chief secretary and director-general of police were summoned to Delhi with "political motive". He said law and order is a state subject.
Banerjee, the chief whip of the TMC in the Lok Sabha, alleged that the Centre is resorting to "coercive means to intimidate the state administration and the top officials were summoned at the instance of the Union Home Minister."
"We want to inform you that law and order is within the domain of the state under 7th Schedule of the State list.... How in respect of the law and order situation you can call both the officers for any sort of discussion? It appears that with a political motive and at the instance of your minister, who is a political person belonging to Bharatiya Janata Party, you have issued the said letter. You are trying to coerce the officers of West Bengal with political vindictiveness. It appears you are interfering with the federal structure," Banerjee said in the letter.
( With inputs from ANI )
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