DMK's Stalin wades into Centre vs Mamata govt's tussle over IPS officers' deputation

Slamming the Home Ministry for its decision to transfer three IPS officers for Central deputation, DMK chief MK Stalin has urged Prime Minister's office to immediately rescind the transfer order. Taking to Twitter on Saturday, Stalin said that the unilateral transfer of 3 West Bengal IPS officers by the Union BJP government is autocratic and anti-federal. This comes after Congress and AAP slammed the Centre for the move amid a tussle between West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and Centre after an attack on BJP chief JP Nadda's convoy while he visited Diamond Harbour.

READ | MHA calls 3 WB IPS officers on central deputation, TMC says 'upto state to release them'

Mamata, Kejriwal slams Centre

Slamming the Centre, Mamata Banerjee said that the act is a deliberate attempt to encroach upon State’s jurisdiction & demoralize the serving officers in WB and that it violates the basic tenets of the federal structure. Calling it unconstitutional & completely unacceptable, she said that West Bengal administration wouldn't allow "brazen attempt" by the Centre to control the State machinery by proxy.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday backed his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee and slammed Centre. Taking to Twitter, the Aam Aadmi Party leader who has faced a similar battle for years condemned Centre's "blatant interference" in the administration of West Bengal. "Encroaching on the rights of states by attempting to transfer police officers to Centre just before elections, is an assault on federalism and an attempt to destabilize," Kejriwal said. 

READ | Kejriwal backs Mamata over transfer of IPS officers; slams Centre's 'blatant interference'

MHA summons state secy & DGP

On Thursday, MHA again summoned Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay and DGP Virendra to come to Delhi for a meeting on Bengal's law and order situation. The officers responded seeking a virtual meeting rather than in-person presence, after previously refusing to answer the summons. The ruling Trinamool government has maintained that 'Under Article 312 of Constitution, the  Centre may ask for names of officers to be sent on deputation, then it is upto the state to release them or not'.  The West Bengal Chief Minister has hit out at the Centre, going so far as to call it 'expansionist' and has stated that her government will not cow down.

Moreover, escalating the fight with the Centre, the Mamata Banerjee government has moved the Supreme Court on Friday over the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)'s summons to three IPS officers belonging to the state cadre, on central deputation. The MHA had summoned the three officers  - Rajeev Mishra (ADG, South Bengal); Bhola Nath Pandey (SP, Diamond Harbour) and Praveen Kumar Tripathi (DIG, Presidency Range) over lapses in security arrangement to BJP chief J P Nadda during his visit to Bengal

READ | CRPF writes to WB Police ahead of Shah's visit; highlights lapses during attack on Nadda

READ |TMC Refuses To Depute IPS Officers, Dares Centre To Impose President's Rule In West Bengal