Now, Mamata Banerjee Vs Bengal Governor On Army At Toll Booths

“What is coup? And then, dragging the Army into controversy; it is not in the national interest”. “Army was in Bengal for a routine exercise”, adding that the Opposition raised a ruckus. The two withdrawals on Friday marked the end of only the first act of a drama that started unfolding 10 days ago, on November 23, with an innocuous letter from the defence ministry to the officer-in-charge of the Hastings police station.

“The exercise involves collection of data in all North Eastern states including Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Manipur, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, Sikkim. I don’t accept that her police personnel did not inform her of the Army conducting routine exercise”, he said.

O’Brein claimed he had also spoken to some of the former chief ministers to know if state government’s permission was required for army deployment in a state. She accused Centre Government on Friday saying that the government is using Army against our government, which provoked Union minister Ananth Kumar requested to TMC Lok Sabha leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay saying that leaves the Army out of the politics.

The Opposition on Friday continued to rail against the Centre in the Parliament over West bengal army deployment. If they are used for political objective, we must object. We are planning to raise the issue in Parliament today. “This exercise was conducted a year ago too between November 19-21”, Parrikar said.

TMC leaders in both Houses alleged that neither the state government, nor local administration, including the police, were taken into confidence on the exercise or their permission sought. Mayawati dubbed the move an “attack on the federal structure” of the nation. The issue of the army’s presence at toll plazas in the state had kicked up a storm with the Chief Minister remaining at the state secretariat overnight in protest, asking was it an “army coup”. The army was deployed some 500 metre from Nabanno, the Bengal State Secretariat as routine mock exercise to collect load information from the toll plazas. The army deployment has got nothing to do with demonetisation or threatening the state. “It is quite unusual that the CM is not aware about it even as the district magistrate and state administration has proper knowledge about the same”, BJP leader Rahul Sinha told ANI.

“Every person should take care in making allegations against a responsible organization like Indian Army”. Concerned officials were informed.

“Perhaps he is representing a particular political party”.

“We have complete faith and respect towards the Indian Army”.