CS, DGP to skip MHA's summons; 3 cases lodged, 7 already arrested, says Alapan
Kolkata: Stating that already three cases, including two specific ones for vandalism have been registered and seven people were arrested in connection with the attack at BJP national president JP Nadda's convoy during his journey, Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay on Friday wrote to Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla requesting to "dispense with the presence of the state officials in the meeting" scheduled to be held on December 14.
This comes after the state Chief Secretary and Director General of Police Virendra were called to Delhi by the Ministry of Home Affairs for a meeting at 12.15 pm on December 14 on the state's law and order situation mainly after Friday's incident of attack on Nadda's car near Sirakole while he was on his way to a programme in Diamond Harbour. The two senior officers were summoned following a report by Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on the state's law and order situation.
In the letter on Friday, Bandyopadhyay has clearly stated that "the State government is already addressing this issue (attack on Nadda's car) with utmost seriousness" and maintained that "three cases have already been registered in this connection, while two of them are specifically for vandalism, one each at Usthi police station and Falta police station, both under the Diamond Harbour Police district. Seven persons have been arrested in these two cases." "While further reports are being obtained and compiled, in the circumstances, I am directed to request you to kindly dispense with the presence of the State officials in the meeting…," he further stated.
As the Union Home Secretary has shown eagerness to discuss on the "incidents regarding certain Z-category protectees" a day after the incident of attack on Nadda's car took place, the state Chief Secretary informed Bhalla that "the incident is already being examined" and the state government had "indeed made an elaborate arrangement for security coverage of the protectees" on Tuesday by providing "a bullet proof car and a pilot to Nadda in addition to the escort (vehicle by state and personnel by CRPF) and PSOs (CRPF) as he is entitled as a Z-category protectee."
It has also been stated that the concerned DIG (Police) personally supervised the security arrangement while "four additional superintendents of police, eight deputy superintendents of police, 14 inspectors, 70 sub-inspectors and additional sub-inspectors, 40 RAF personnel, 259 constables and 350 members of auxiliary forces were deployed on the route and at the venue at Diamond Harbour". The state government made this arrangement from its end while the "Central protectees had their own Central protection arrangements".
The issue related to "tagging of many vehicles" to Nadda's convoy has also been raised in the letter. It has been stated that it "made the situation unwieldy, because typically, security authorities are to handle a convoy of few vehicles only, and not with/in the presence of so many other vehicles which got tagged to the convoy".
Dhankhar on Friday termed the attack on J P Nadda's convoy as most "unfortunate" and said that he sent a report to the Centre in this regard whose contents cannot be shared.
