Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee, on Monday, accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of using the Army to dismantle a makeshift dais constructed by her party in Kolkata for a programme to protest against alleged atrocities on Bengali-speaking migrant workers in BJP-ruled states.
The dais was constructed next to the Gandhi statue on Mayo Road that is part of the Kolkata Maidan. The Maidan is owned by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Army is the custodian or Local Military Authority (LMA). Written permission has to be sought from the LMA for any event held on the Maidan.
Mamata rushed to the spot on receiving information that the dais has been dismantled by personnel of the Corps of Military Police who patrol the area.
“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,” Mamata told reporters.
The Army should have consulted the Kolkata Police before dismantling the dais, she said.
“They could have called me and I would have removed the dais 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,” Mamata added.
A defence official said that the Army 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 need to be obtained from the MoD, Govt of India. Permission for conduct of events were provided for two days , however the stage has been there for nearly a month. Several reminders have been sent to the organisers for removal of the temporary structure. However, it was not removed. Thereafter, the Kolkata Police were informed and the structure was removed by the Army,” the MoD spokesperson in Kolkata said.
The LMA has turned strict over the use of the Maidan for activities other than sports. In the last few months, the Army refused permission on two occasions. The first was during the IPL when the Kolkata Police created a temporary parking lot close to the boundary of Vijay Durg (formerly Fort William), headquarters of the Army’s Eastern Command. The second was for Eid prayers on Red Road close to Vijay Durg.
Matters were finally resolved amicably on both occasions with the Army finally granting permission.