Mamata slams EC for its ‘unilateral midnight transfers’, says poll panel anti-women, anti-Hindu, works at BJP’s behest

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Earlier in the day, at a protest over the LPG price hike, Banerjee questioned the timing and the lack of communication regarding the removal of senior officials, including Nandini Chakraborty, the first woman chief secretary of the state.

“Have you ever heard of this happening at midnight? A political party is using someone to carry out a secret rampage behind the scenes at midnight, like a ‘superstorm’. The chief secretary is a Bengali woman; you all are anti-woman. Previously, the rule was to ask for a list from our state government. We would send three names, out of which they would select. Now, it is as if a ‘Magher Muluk’ (lawless land)… acting like zamindars and landlords just to satisfy the BJP,” said the CM.

The TMC supremo alleged that the EC’s actions displayed a bias against both Bengali and efficient non-Bengali officers who do not comply with the Center’s political agenda.

“You didn’t feel the need to ask the state even once? All to act as brokers for the BJP,” she asked.

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“Second, Home Secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena was removed. He is a non-Bengali. Why was he removed? DGP Peeyush Pandey was removed. He was also a non-Bengali. Kolkata Police Commissioner Supratim Sarkar is a Bengali, and Additional Director General (Law and Order) Vineet Goyal is a non-Bengali…This means you haven’t just targeted Bengal, but you have also removed efficient non-Bengali officers. You have seen how they are hand-picking those who don’t work according to the BJP’s instructions,” she said.

Dismissing the impact of the transfers on the polls, Banerjee said the reshuffle won’t change the will of the masses. “But remember: ‘Vinash kaale viprit buddhi’ (when destruction looms, one’s intellect fails). No matter which officer you send, they will all work for us; they will work for the people,” she said.

Mamata also linked the current political situation to broader economic grievances, citing price hikes in essential commodities and the history of public “lines” under the central administration. “How many more lines will the people stand in? The line for demonetisation… The line for Aadhaar cards… And now, yet again, a line for gas. How many more lines will you make the people stand in? By making the public stand in lines, you yourselves will become ‘de-lined’ in the coming days. You have hiked the price of gas in one jump,” she said.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, said, “I am happy that the EC brought back officials who were shunted by the Mamata government… Those efficient non-partisan IAS and IPS officials, who had been given insignificant postings by the TMC regime, will now be in charge of law and order to ensure smooth, fair, and incident-free polls.”

CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty said the state administration’s conduct made such action significant this time. “The state of administration in Bengal is such that an official can take off his uniform and immediately become a Rajya Sabha member of TMC,” he said, referring to former DGP Rajeev Kumar.

(With PTI inputs)