Mamata slams BJP, EC; calls officer transfers 'anti-Bengal', 'anti-women'
What's the story
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has slammed the Election Commission of India (ECI) for transferring top state bureaucrats and police officers ahead of the assembly polls. The Trinamool Congress chief accused both the ECI and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of being "anti-women and anti-Bengal." Her comments came after the ECI ordered the transfer of Chief Secretary Nandini Chakravorty and Home Secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena.
Transfer controversy
Banerjee accuses ECI of being anti-women, anti-Bengal
Banerjee criticized the ECI for transferring Chakravorty at midnight, saying it shows their "anti-women" stance. "They chose the hour of midnight to remove Nandini Chakravorty, the chief secretary and a Bengali woman, without consulting the state government," she said. The CM also slammed the removal of Meena and other officers, including DGP Peeyush Pandey and Kolkata Police Commissioner Supratim Sarkar.
Official letter
CM writes to CEC, expresses concern over transfer orders
Banerjee wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, expressing her "deep concern and surprise" over the ECI's transfer orders. She said such transfers were made without any cogent reasons or allegations of violation or misconduct. The CM pointed out that historically, the commission consulted state governments before making such sweeping changes in administrative positions.
Future consultations
Request for restraint in unilateral measures
In her letter, Banerjee requested the ECI to refrain from such unilateral measures in the future. She stressed that these actions threaten the credibility and institutional integrity of the commission. The CM also pointed out that officers engaged in election-related duties are on deputation to the ECI during elections, as per constitutional provisions.