Few things can be more disturbing than disagreements between the Centre and a state over the management of public life during the assault of the novel coronavirus. The Centre sent Inter-Ministerial Central Teams to West Bengal, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra to assess how well — or how badly — the rules for lockdown and measures of containment for hotspots are being followed. Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, where the Covid-19 toll in terms of infection and mortality is high, apparently did not need such assessment. West Bengal is 13th in these terms among the states, but unceasing complaints of mismanagement and dilution of rules in certain hotspots from the state Bharatiya Janata Party and the governor evidently made it a fit candidate for an IMCT visit.

The result has been an exacerbation of the strained relationship between the Centre and the political leadership in West Bengal. Reportedly, the IMCT did not inform the state government of its visit so that the state could arrange for logistical support. The chief minister was apparently informed of its arrival after the fact by the Union home minister. One branch of the IMCTs housed itself in the Border Security Force guest house in Calcutta and another in Intelligence Bureau accommodation in Siliguri. The chief minister’s resultant letter of protest to the prime minister made two points. One, the IMCT’s conduct was a breach of protocol. And two, she wished to know the criteria under which the IMCT was sent to West Bengal, for without this information the Centre’s move went against the principle of federalism. Irrespective of the state’s success or failure in the management of the crisis, the Centre’s violation of federalist principles cannot be denied. The Union government seems not to be bothered by such expectations. The IMCT arrived like a quietly descending Opposition party. Its complaint to the Union home ministry that the state was not cooperating underlined the oppositional attitude. West Bengal has assured the Centre of its cooperation, although even that letter, from the state’s chief secretary, reiterated the point about the IMCT’s lack of protocol. Covid-19 represents an unprecedented crisis in human life and ways of living all over the world. Federal principles are India’s strength here and the Centre should nurture them. This is hardly the time for games of oppositional politics.