Nadda attack: MHA summons WB chief secy, DGP on Dec 14

A day after Bharatiya Janata Party president J P Nadda's convoy was attacked in West Bengal, the Union home ministry on Friday summoned the state's chief secretary and director general of police on December 14.

West Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay and Director General of Police Virendra have been called by the home ministry, an official said.

The chief secretary and DGP are expected to be asked to explain the law and order situation in West Bengal, the steps taken to prevent political violence and other crimes in the state, another official said.

The two top-most civil and police officers of West Bengal were called by the home ministry within hours of receiving a report from West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on the law and order situation in the state.

The Centre on Friday received a report from Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on the prevailing law and order situation in West Bengal, a day after Bharatiya Janata Party president J P Nadda's convoy was attacked in the state, officials said.

The state government, however, has not sent any report as sought by the Union home ministry on "serious security lapses" during Nadda's two-day visit to West Bengal.

"The home ministry has received a report from the West Bengal governor on the law and order situation in the state," an official said.

Asked about the contents of the report, the official said that it is under examination.

It is learnt that the governor gave a detailed analysis of the prevailing law and order situation in West Bengal and the state government's response to political violence and other crimes.

The report from the governor was sought after Nadda's convoy was attacked on Thursday in Diamond Harbour, the Lok Sabha constituency of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee.

On December 6, Dhankhar had alleged that the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal is distancing itself from the rule of law and the governance in the state is "getting away" from the path of the Constitution.

"I am deeply disturbed, concerned, worried and pained that the governance in West Bengal is getting away from the path of the Constitution. It is distancing itself from rule of law," he had said.

The governor had also tweeted on Sunday: "High time @MamataOfficial to ensure governance in accordance with constitution and render police & administration "politically neutral". CS & DGP @WBPolice non responsive stance ignoring lawful accountability, letter & spirit of constitution is fraught with serious consequences".

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had termed the attack on Nadda's convoy a "sponsored violence", and alleged that the state has "descended into an era of tyranny and anarchy" under Trinamool's rule.

Nadda's convoy was pelted with stones when he was travelling to Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas district to address a rally there.

Cars of several party leaders including that of BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya and West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh which were part of the convoy were damaged in the alleged attack.

Another official said that the Union home ministry is yet to receive a report from the West Bengal government on the alleged "serious security lapses" during the BJP president's visit.

Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla had also spoken to the West Bengal chief secretary on Thursday on the allegations of BJP's state unit chief Dilip Ghosh.

Ghosh in a letter to Shah had alleged that "during his (Nadda's) different engagements in Kolkata, it was observed that there was serious lapses on security arrangements, purportedly due to negligence and/or casual approach of the state police department".

He had also alleged that a "mob" of over 200 people with sticks and bamboos were demonstrating raising black flags in front of the BJP's state unit office in Kolkata.

Ghosh claimed that some of the protesters climbed on cars parked outside the party's office and raised slogans, and the "police did not intervene to stop them and casually allowed them to come within a close perimeter of Nadda ji's vehicle".