Bengal police, administration must be politically neutral: West Bengal Governor

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday said the state police and administration must be "politically neutral" and warned that "outrageous departures spell serious consequences".

Dhankhar, who is currently in Darjeeling, said in a series of tweets that his alerts to "politically motivated public servants" have been partially impactful as some are still in defiance, unmindful that such "misconduct" has serious career and criminal consequences.

Cautioning public servants that political alignment is "illegal and criminal wrong", the governor said it is time to "flush out" extra-constitutional authorities and illegal intruders from corridors of power to protect democracy.

"My alerts to politically motivated public servants @MamataOfficial have been partially impactful as some are still in defiance, unmindful that such misconduct has serious career & criminal consequences. They must heed 'Be you ever so high, the law is always above you!' and amend," he tweeted.

"Police and Administration @MamataOfficial must be 'political neutral'. Must adhere @IASassociation @IPS_Association AIS (Conduct) Rules, 1968. Every member of the Service shall at all times maintain 'political neutrality'. Outrageous departures spell serious consequences," he said in another Twitter post.

The governor said the only "escape route" for violators is to dump the political hat and serve as per law.

"Public servants @MamataOfficial political alignment is illegal and criminal wrong. Time to flush out Extra constitutional authorities & illegal intruders #MAP of power corridors to protect democracy. Only escape route for violators is to dump political hat & serve as per law," the governor tweeted.

Dhankhar, in a letter to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in October, had called for "sanitising power corridors of non-state actors and (to) ensure that the state security advisor and principal advisor, internal security, do not boss over the statutorily structured police apparatus, thereby reducing the DGP and other police officials to abject subordination and to insignificance." The state government has engaged retired IPS officers Surajit Kar Purakayastha as the state security advisor and Rina Mitra as principal advisor of internal security. 

(Image: PTI)