Centre and TMC spar over providing central protection to Bengal Guv
New Delhi: The Centre and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) indulged in a verbal spat in Lok Sabha on Wednesday over the issue of providing central protection to the West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and BJP leaders in the state.
TMC Lok Sabha leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay raised the issue during the discussion over the Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill, 2019 and mentioned, "Central forces are going to Bengal...Governor himself is taking the security of central forces, ignoring the State Government. I don't know what the reason is. I will request Hon'ble Home Minister. These things are going on. CRPF is giving security coverage to the Governor and Chief Minister is not even being communicated. We are paying for that. Why can't State government provide security to him?"
Without mentioning the names of Bharatiya Janata Party leaders in West Bengal, Bandyopadhyay also said, "How many non-elected members are being offered the CRPF protection? I would also request Hon'ble Home Minister to take a list of that from our State of Bengal."
"Those who will quit our party and join another party (means ruling party in Centre) have been allotted and provided 4 CRPFs with them with rifles and LMGs, whatever it may be. I cannot mention the names properly but they are moving in that way. It is not proper. It is improper," the senior Parliamentarian added further, requesting the Union Home Minister Amit Shah to 'recognise' the important persons and to withdraw unnecessary central protection.
However, while answering the TMC leader of Lok Sabha, Home Minister mentioned, "Central protection is being provided based on 'threat assessment'. The Centre feels the need of Z category security protection to him. Even it applies to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. Nothing has been done with 'political vendetta'."
Apart from the West Bengal governor, BJP leaders in the state have been provided by 'Z' and 'Y' category security, a 'Y+' category of armed VIP security cover has been accorded by the Centre to Mukul Roy, since a day after he joined the BJP, quitting the Trinamool Congress (TMC). Even BJP Lok Sabha MP and West Bengal chief Dilip Ghosh's security has been upgraded to 'Z+' category.
While being asked, the home minister and BJP national president Amit Shah claimed in the Lower House of the Parliament that as per reports, the party workers in the state are not secured and they need protection.
The incumbent party of West Bengal, Trinamool Congress had already submitted a notice of discussing 'the role of Governor' under rule 193 in the Lok Sabha during the first day of the ongoing winter session of Parliament.
