TMC slams BJP, Centre over proceedings against ex-West Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay

'As per federal rules, the concerned state government will decide whether an IAS officer working under it will meet the Prime Minister or not,' a TMC MP said

A day after the Centre initiated “major penalty proceedings” against former West Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) alleged that the move was an outcome of the BJP leadership’s inability to accept its defeat in the Assembly election.

Speaking to reporters at the TMC headquarters, senior MPs Sukhendu Sekhar Roy and Sougata Roy said that “the BJP was resorting to dirty politics as they are unable to accept defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections.”

Sukhendu argued that whether an IAS officer working under the state government will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi or not would be decided by the concerned state government.

“As per federal rules, the concerned state government will decide whether an IAS officer working under it will meet the Prime Minister or not. Even if the Centre wants the services of an IAS officer working under a state government, it has to get the consent of the concerned state government. But the Centre violated federal rules,” said Sukhendu.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting at Kalaikunda following Cyclone Yaas, Sukhendu said that there was no violation of protocol as the Centre only assumed that Alapan Bandyopadhay would meet him, although there was no definite instruction in this regard.

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“It was only an assumption on part of the Centre that Alapan Bandyopadhay would meet the Prime Minister. But there was no definite, formal instruction in this regard. So the allegation that protocol was violated by him is totally baseless and vindictive,” Sukhendu.

The TMC leadership further alleged that the former Chief Secretary was being harassed by the Centre under the instruction of the Prime Minister.

“Alapan was handling the task of containing the spread of Covid-19 in Bengal. The state government had informed the Centre in advance why Alapan would not be able to meet the prime minister,” said Sougata.

The development comes a day after the Department of Personnel and Training sent Bandyopadhyay, now an advisor to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a memorandum mentioning charges against him and asking for a reply within 30 days.