Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh and DMK chief M.K. Stalin on Saturday joined a clutch of regional leaders who have spoken up for state governments’ say in the transfer of officials in the wake of the standoff between the Bengal government and the Centre over three IPS officers.

Earlier, Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal, too, had picked up cudgels for the rights of state governments.

“Transferring officers to central deputation without the state govts’ permission, as has been done in West Bengal, is another glaring example of diluting the federal structure,” Amarinder, a Congress veteran, tweeted.

Baghel had said while referring to a tweet by Mamata Banerjee: “Federalism is at stake yet again. The BJP govt at the Centre has encroached the state’s area of administration and transferred officers. And that too before elections. The Centre’s interference is highly objectionable.”

His Rajasthan counterpart Ashok Gehlot — also from the Congress — had re-tweeted Baghel’s tweet.

Stalin tweeted: “The unilateral transfer of 3 West Bengal IPS officers by the Union BJP Govt is autocratic and anti-federal. The civil service of the country must not be dictated by the whims and fancies of the ruling party in Delhi. I urge @PMOIndia to immediately rescind the transfer order.”

The Centre has placed the three IPS officers on central deputation after stones were hurled at BJP president J.P. Nadda’s convoy in Bengal.