Kolkata, December 2 (The New Indian Express): In a high-pitched political showdown, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool supremo, Mamata Banerjee, on Thursday night refused to leave West Bengal State Secretariat Nabanna until Indian army personnel are removed from the toll gate at Vidyasagar Setu connecting Howrah and Kolkata across the Hoogly river.
In a series of tweets, the ‘crusader’ against demonetization said she will stay put in the secretariat to ‘safeguard democracy’ until Army is removed from state secretariat Nabanna.
“Until and unless the Army stationed in front of Nabanno, the Bengal state govt secretariat, is withdrawn… I am waiting here at the Secretariat and watching, to guard our democracy,” she tweeted.
She also claimed that the Army have been deployed in other districts of Bengal, which she believes is a result of vendetta due to her pitched opposition to the demonetisation move by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi. She had termed the deployment of Army personnel at three toll gates near Kolkata as ‘general emergency’ moving on from ‘economic emergency’, a term she has chosen for demonetisation.
“More army deployment in diff Bengal districts Jalpaiguri,Alipurduar, Darjeeling,Barrackpur, N24Pgs, Howrah,Hooghly,Kol,Murshidabad Burdwan, ” she tweeted.
Army personnel are deployed at tollgates at Palsit, Dankuni and Vidyasagar Setu, which is at a stone’s throw from Nabanna.
The Ar had stated that it was a routine annual exercise done to get statistics of availability of freight vehicles that may be used by the Army in times of extreme need.
However, Mamata Banerjee refused to buy the Eastern Command’s argument.
“Absolutely wrong and misleading facts by @easterncomd. We have great respect for you, but please please don’t mislead the people, ” she tweeted.
(The featured picture at the top is that of Mamata Banerji, West Bengal Chief Minister).
