KOLKATA: West Bengal government on Friday evening expressed its reluctance to attend the Ministry of Home Affairs’ meeting asking the chief secretary Alapan Bandpadhyay and director general of police Virendra to be present on December 14 on the issue of the attack on BJP’s national president JP Nadda’s convoy and law and order situation in the state.
In a letter to Ajay Bhalla, the Union Home Secretary, Bandopadhyay requested the Centre to "kindly dispense with the presence of the state officials in the meeting" considering that the state government is addressing the issue with "utmost seriousness".
Bandopadhyay, in the letter, mentioned the security arrangements made for Nadda’s visit to Diamond Harbour, the Lok Sabha constituency of chief minister’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee, on Thursday.
"We had indeed made elaborate arrangements for security coverage of the protectees yesterday. The West Bengal Police had provided a bulletproof car and a pilot to Shri JP Nadda, which was in addition to the escort (vehicle by state, personnel by CRPF) and PSOs (CRPF) he is entitled as a Z-category protectee.
"The DIG (Police) of the range was stationed in the area to personally supervise the police arrangements. While 4 additional SPs, 8 DySPs, 14 Inspectors, 70 SIs/ASIs, 40 RAF personnel, 259 constables, and 350 numbers of auxillary forces were deployed on the route and at the venue at Diamond Harbour," wrote Bandopadhyay.
Corroborating CM's allegation of too many vehicles in the convoy, Bandopadhyay, said, "The tagging of many vehicles to the protectee convoys, however, made the situation unwieldy, because typically, security authorities are to handle a protectee convoy of a few vehicles only, and not with/in the presence of so many other vehicles which got tagged to the convoy travelling together."
Requesting the Centre to dispense with the personal appearance of CS and DGP, Bandopadhyay wrote, "While further reports are being obtained and compiled, in the circumstances, I am directed to request you to dispense with the presence of the State officials in the meeting, considering that the State Government is already addressing this issue with utmost seriousness."
West Bengal Police registered 3 FIRs in connection with the attack on Nadda’s convoy. Two of FIRs lodged with Usthi and Falta police stations in South 24-Parganas district mentioned the charges of vandalism against unknown persons and another against BJP supporters for inciting violence.
Police arrested seven persons on the charges of vandalism.