Accusing the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government of “trying to influence the judiciary”, Union minister and former West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar on Tuesday demanded the arrest of former Chief Secretary Manoj Pant over his “unauthorised presence” at the Supreme Court-mandated high-level meeting over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in the state.
Addressing a press conference in Barasat in North 24 Parganas district, Majumdar said that the top court had specifically ordered the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court Sujoy Pal to hold the February 21 meeting with designated officials and called the former chief secretary’s presence “totally illegal”.
“The Supreme Court had asked the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court to hold the meeting with the Chief Secretary of the state, Director General of Police, Advocate General and Additional Solicitor General. No other person was to be allowed in the meeting. Manoj Pant is no longer the Chief Secretary. His presence was totally illegal. An FIR should be filed against Manoj Pant and he should be arrested,” Majumdar said.
However, a state government official said that Pant was present in the meeting after getting permission from Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court and he was accompanied by Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty. “Not only Manoj Pant, West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal was also present in the meeting,” the official said.
A similar row had erupted over the presence of Nandini Chakraborty, Manoj Pant with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during the Enforcement Directorate’s raid at political consultancy firm I-PAC’s Kolkata office last month, with senior officials and political functionaries calling it “gross misconduct”.
The controversy escalated after CM Banerjee said that she had gone there “as chairperson of the Trinamool Congress”.
Scuffle breaks out in front of CEO office, one injured
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Meanwhile, tension erupted in front of the CEO office when Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari came to meet CEO Agarwal on Tuesday. A group of “pro-TMC” Booth Level Officers (BLO) started raising “go back” slogans and allegedly hurled a shoe at the BJP leader. BJP supporters also came forward leading to a scuffle.
Police had to intervene to disperse the mob and one person was injured, officials said.
Adhikari said, “You can see what happened in front of the CEO office. You can also see what is happening in the villages of this state. Police are also indulging in such activities.”
Responding to the incident, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “We are not supporting such acts. However, Suvendu Adhikari has been regularly provoking people who are already harassed. So, they must have retaliated.”
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
