West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee continued to stay put at the State Secretariat, Nabanna, on Friday protesting against the Army's presence at toll plazas in several parts of the State and asked whether it was an “army coup.”
Army personnel, however, left the toll plaza near the Secretariat on Thursday night.
Speaking to reporters late on Thursday night at Nabanna, she said, “I will stay at the Secretariat to guard our democracy.” “Is this a military coup?” she asked.
She said Army personnel were there in districts such as Murshidabad, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, North 24 Paragans, Bardhaman, Howrah and Hooghly.
“The Army is deployed without informing the State government. This is unprecedented and a very serious matter”, she said.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) leadership has decided to raise the issue in Parliament and also inform President Pranab Mukherjee about it.
“We are talking to all political parties. We are planning to raise the issue in Parliament today. Lets see,” TMC national spokesperson Derek O’ Brien told PTI.
A senior TMC leader, on condition of anonymity, said, “We are planning to meet President Pranab Mukherjee and inform him about the incident. The entire country should know, how the BJP is engaged in vindictive politics.”
They have spoken to Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and discussed how to counter this issue jointly, he said.
Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel called up Ms. Banerjee in the morning and inquired about the incident.
A defence spokesperson had said that the Army conducts bi-annual exercise throughout the country with an aim of getting statistical data about the load carriers that could be made available to the Army in case of a contingency.
“There is nothing alarming about this and it is carried out as per government orders”, Wing Commander S.S. Birdi had said.
The Army had said they were conducting a routine exercise with the full knowledge of and coordination with the West Bengal police.
Mr. O’Brien, however, refuted the Army’s claim. “All respect for army, but must set record straight 1) Data is already available 2. Cannot do vehicle check, not authorized to do so. Saying exercise by @easterncomd was coordinated with police is absolutely incorrect. Also, troops were moved into districts even after midnight. Bengal CM kept watch from Secretariat overnight. She is still there,” Mr. Brien said on Twitter.
