Arvind Kejriwal backs Mamata Banerjee, condemns Centre’s “blatant interference”

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday came out in support of West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee over the Centre’s directive seeking the release of three IPS officers for Central deputation.

Kejriwal took to Twitter to “condemn” the Centre’s “blatant interference”. He said that it is an attempt to destabilize the government and an assault on federalism. Kejriwal wrote: “I condemn the Centre’s blatant interference in the Bengal administration. Encroaching on the rights of states by attempting to transfer police officers to Centre just before elections, is an assault on federalism and an attempt to destabilize.”

He retweeted Banerjee’s post of yesterday in which she wrote that the Centre seeking the transfer of three IPS officers was a “blatant misuse of emergency provision of IPS Cadre Rule 1954. This act is nothing but a deliberate attempt to encroach upon State’s jurisdiction & demoralize the serving officers in WB.”

She also wrote that the move “particularly before the elections” was against the basic tenets of the federal structure adding that it is “unconstitutional”. The Bengal CM added that “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 & undemocratic forces.”