Mamata Banerjee appeals to Centre to “withdraw” order recalling CS, may take legal recourse

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday reacted sharply at the Central government notice recalling chief secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay from the state. She hit out at the Central government officials who had alleged that Banerjee had made PM Modi wait for a meeting at Kalaikunda on Friday.

It was clear that Bengal may take legal recourse if the Centre did not agree with her appeal to “withdraw” the order and takes any legal step regarding the matter. The order asked Bandopadhyay to report to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) under the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Monday, May 31 by 10 AM. At a press conference in the state administrative headquarters Nabanna, Banerjee said today: “If they make a legal move, we too may have to think of legal steps”. However, “for now” Banerjee said, she hoped that the Centre would listen to her “appeal” of withdrawing the order.

Banerjee said that she had been informed about the PM’s Friday visit to West Bengal which made her change her earlier schedule for visit to Yaas-ravaged Digha. However, later she gathered that the list of persons attending the meeting had been changed. It included among others, leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari. Banerjee said that in no other meeting had the leader of Opposition been present, including a recent visit by the PM to Gujarat and even in Odisha.

Banerjee added that only photograph of the PM sitting with the Governor and other “political leaders” with one side showing empty seats had been given to the media, but the media did not get pictures of her and Alapan Bandopadhyay meeting the PM. “That meeting too, took place,” she said.

“I took permission from the PM three times before leaving the meeting and went to my scheduled meeting in Digha. The weather was bad and I informed the PM about it. So what is my fault? Why is the Centre insulting me repeatedly?” Banerjee asked.

She said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cannot accept its defeat in Bengal, the reason they were repeatedly targeting Bengal, her and its people. “They are constantly disturbing our work. We got a landslide victory. Why are you quarrelling with us everyday?” she asked, adding that on every issue the Centre is creating “confusion and confrontation” with the Bengal government.