Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Nov 21: In a move that could provide ammunition to the opposition BJP to attack her Trinamool Congress and her government, the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused her own police of taking bribes and helping to smuggle cattle, vegetables, arms and other materials across the state’s international as well as domestic borders.
Acting on the complaints of some Trinamool Congress leaders about alleged police inaction in the past week, Ms Banerjee strongly reprimanded the state police stating that certain sections of officers, workers, and police personnel were taking bribes and were indulging in potato, sand, coal and cement smuggling and tarnishing the good image of the State.
Ms Banerjee added, “Lower-level officers, workers, and some police officers take bribes in smuggling sand, coal, and cement theft.” She wondered why she and other political leaders have to shoulder the blame for corruption among certain sections of police and office workers. The Chief Minister slammed the police’s role in failing to control potato smuggling amidst rising market prices.
The grilling of police officers in a public meeting came forth after senior Trinamool Congress leaders like MP Sougato Roy and Kolkata Municipal Corporation Mayor and MLA Firhad Hakim raised concerns over police inaction. At a public meeting, Mr Roy said, “Our Mayor has made some observations and I also wonder how 9 mm pistols can be smuggled into the city clandestinely despite supposedly strict police surveillance.”
Attacking the Narendra Modi government at the centre, Ms Banerjee without naming Bangladesh said though the state’s neighbouring country was experiencing a tumultuous situation, the centre did precious little to seal the international border.
She said it was left to the West Bengal government to tackle everything, from the influx of fake Indian currency to cattle smuggling. “It is a matter relating to external affairs. I will refrain from saying anything in this matter. But the borders are not in our control,” she said. While the Trinamool Congress leadership blames the Border Security Force (BSF) for smuggling across the Bangladesh border, sources in the BSF allege that the State government has not provided land for fencing of the border with Bangladesh.
West Bengal shares a 2,296 km border with Bangladesh and the recent political turmoil in the neighbouring country has posed security challenges for the State along with reduced inflow of people seeking medical tourism here.
The Chief Minister called for more checks along the borders, both with other countries and adjoining States. Calling the police to set up police posts round the clock along the border, Ms Banerjee urged the people to cooperate. “I will be very happy if someone checks my vehicle,” she said.
Ms Banerjee said potato produced in the State was being taken to other states without the knowledge of the State government. A few months ago, the Trinamool Congress government had stopped supply of the vegetable to other States.
Recently, the price of potato had increased across the State, resulting in discomfort to retail buyers. Ms Banerjee blamed the police for ‘smuggling’ of the vegetable outside the State. The Chief Minister said she was not against sale of potatoes to other States but without creating any deficit in the local markets. She also alleged that arms were being smuggled into the State using the railways.
Amid these concerns, the police force saw a major reshuffle in the top brass. Pranav Kumar, Inspector General of Police, Barrackpore district, was made Additional Commissioner of Police, Kolkata. Murli Dhar, the previous Additional Commissioner of Police, was shifted to Mr Kumar’s position. Mr Dhar had served in the Kolkata Police for over a decade. Four other top officers were shifted to new positions, including Swati Bhangalia, Biswajit Mahato, Subimal Paul, and Surinder Singh.