Kolkata: West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress on Friday claimed the deployment of soldiers at toll plazas in the state without the state government’s approval, was an attempt to disrupt the federal structure as a counter to party supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s protest against the centre’s demonetisation move.
Trinamool leader Partha Chatterjee apprised Governor K.N. Tripathi of the situation on Friday. “I spoke to the governor over phone. In 18 places, the Army was deployed without any approval of state government. This is against the federal structure and is an attempt to destroy the democracy,” he told the media here.
“Following demonetisation, Mamata Banerjee has been raising a storm as the voice of the Opposition. There is an attempt to disrupt the federal structure in the state, in different ways … sometimes on flight, on ground and sometimes by deploying the Army,” he said.
The Trinamool has claimed a conspiracy in the issue of alleged safety lapse in an aircraft ferrying Banerjee.
Accusing the central government of deploying the army at several highway toll plazas while keeping her government in the dark, Banerjee stayed put at the state secretariat Nabanna on Thursday night and continued to remain there till Friday afternoon.
But the Indian Army on Friday denied the charge, saying the exercise has been conducted in coordination with local police authorities.
