Centre misused Army to dismantle TMC stage to protest 'atrocities' on WB migrants, alleges Mamata

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the central government of "misusing" the Indian Army to dismantle a stage erected here to protest alleged atrocities on Bengali-speaking migrant workers in BJP-ruled states. The Indian Army took up the dismantling of the TMC's stage erected beside the Gandhi statue in Maidan area in central Kolkata. "I do not blame the Army, but the BJP's vendetta politics is behind it. The double-engine government of the BJP is to be blamed. They are misusing the Army. This is unethical, undemocratic," Banerjee, who rushed to the spot, told reporters.

The Army should have consulted the Kolkata Police before dismantling the stage, she said. "They could have called me and I would have removed the stage within a few minutes," she said. "I don't blame the Army, just appeal to them to remain neutral and not play in the hands of the BJP," the Bengal CM said. A defence official said that the Indian Army (Local military Authority, Kolkata) gives permission for events in the Maidan area for a duration of two days, as directed by the Supreme Court. "Permission for events greater than three days needs to be obtained from the MoD, Govt of India. "Permission for conduct of events was provided for two days. However, the stage has been put up for almost a month. Several reminders have been sent to the organisers for the removal of the temporary structure. However, it was not removed," the defence official said in a statement.