KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Financial Emergency, Trinamool Congress, Basudeb Banerjee, Nabanno, Dankuni and Palsit, Mamata Banerjee, centre, Army soldiers, opened another gate in her battle with the centre on Thursday, this time complaining the presence of Army soldiers at two toll booths on a national highway that runs through West Bengal, stating her permission should have been asked.
“I want to know if, besides the financial emergency, the attack on democracy and the federal structure, is there an emergency?” Mamata Banerjee asked. “Why were soldiers out at Dankuni and Palsit, the two poll booths on National Highway 2? Even for mock drills, the army has to take the state’s permission,” she said, adding “they did not.”
The Chief Minister has now declined to leave the office till the army moves. “Very unfortunate. Army stationed in front of Nabanno, the Bengal State Secretariat in a high-security zone, in spite of Police objection… I am waiting here at the Secretariat and watching, to guard our democracy,” she tweeted.
Very unfortunate. Army stationed in front of Nabanno, the Bengal State Secretariat in a high security zone, inspite of Police objection 1/2
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) December 1, 2016
… I am waiting here at the Secretariat and watching, to guard our democracy 2/2
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) December 1, 2016
The Chief Minister said she has asked Chief Secretary Basudeb Banerjee, the state’s top bureaucrat, to complain to the centre.
Derek O’Brien, a lawmaker from Trinamool Congress, tweeted a video that showed army men in fatigues at a toll plaza and asked whether “Besides Financial Emergency” the centre had “also imposed General Emergency,” the former a reference to the Modi government’s notes ban against which Mamata Banerjee is leading a campaign.
The Army has announced in its response that it is a part of an exercise that carries yearly to “gather statistical data about load carriers that could be made available to the Army in the case of a contingency.”
“For this purpose vehicles are spotted to get basic parameters like make load capacity etc. The vehicle is then marked so that the next checkpoint knows that the vehicle had already been checked for the parameters. There is nothing alarming about this and it is carried out as per government orders,” the Army statement said.
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Mamata Banerjee has announced battle with the BJP-led government at the centre over demonetisation of 500 and 1000-rupee notes intended at curbing corruption and black money.
The Trinamool Congress has joined other opposition parties in interrupting parliament while the chief minister herself has led rallies on the streets traveling from city to city attacking the government of punishing the poor with its note ban which has led to a huge cash emergency.
“Today Bengal, tomorrow Bihar, next Uttar Pradesh,” Mamata Banerjee said. “It is a very serious situation, worse than an emergency. It is a frightening situation. After the event, if they say sorry, what’s the point? It is like getting doctor after death.”
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“Is there a plan for a bloody war within the country?” she added.