The Centre on Thursday asked the Bengal government to immediately relieve the three IPS officers who have been transferred to the central deputation, officials said. It said that all of them had been given new assignments, added the officials.
In a communication to the chief secretary of Bengal, the Ministry of Home Affairs said that as per the cadre rules of IPS, the Centre’s decision carries more weight than that of the state in case of a dispute.
The MHA added that the three IPS officers in question were already tasked with new assignments and they should be released immediately.
Bholanath Pandey has been appointed as SP in the Bureau of Police Research and Development, Praveen Tripathi as DIG in the Sashastra Seema Bal and Rajeev Mishra as IG in the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, the official said.
The Bengal director general of police has also received a copy of the communication.
Lashing out at the Centre over the decision, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she would not bow down before ‘expansionist’ and ‘undemocratic’ forces.
In a series of tweets, Mamata said that it was a deliberate attempt by the Centre to encroach upon the state's jurisdiction and demoralise the serving officers in West Bengal.
“This move, particularly before the elections is against the basic tenets of the federal structure. It's unconstitutional and completely unacceptable,” she said.
“GoI's (Government of India) order of central deputation for the 3 serving IPS officers of West Bengal despite the State's objection is a colourable exercise of power and blatant misuse of emergency provision of IPS Cadre Rule 1954," Mamata tweeted.
“We wouldn't allow this brazen attempt by the Centre to control the State machinery by proxy! West Bengal is not going to cow-down in front of expansionist and undemocratic forces,” the chief minister tweeted.
The Home Ministry directed the three IPS officers to join in central deputation for their alleged dereliction of duties following the attack on the convoy of BJP president JP Nadda last week.
