'Undeclared emergency' in West Bengal: Mamata Banerjee slams ECI over reshuffle

Kolkata: Calling it an "undeclared Emergency", West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday lashed out at the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the ongoing reshuffle of officials, terming it "an unpromulgated form of President's Rule driven by political vendetta".

Banerjee described the exercise as "unprecedented" and "a deliberate design to seize control of West Bengal through coercion and institutional manipulation". She was reacting to a series of bureaucratic and police reshuffles carried out by the poll body over the past four days since Sunday midnight.

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"What we are witnessing is nothing short of an undeclared Emergency... not democratic principles," Banerjee said in a post on X, alleging that the BJP was trying to "capture the state through coercion, intimidation and misuse of institutions" after failing to win public trust.

After multiple rounds of reshuffle, the ECI deputed 15 IPS officers to other states, including Tamil Nadu and Kerala, before revoking five names. Those recalled include Bidhannagar Police Commissioner Muralidhar Sharma and Siliguri Police Commissioner Waqar Raja. The Bengal government has issued alternative postings for 13 district magistrates removed by the ECI.

In a scathing attack, Banerjee said the poll panel had "singled out and targeted Bengal" in an "alarming" manner. "Even before election notification, over 50 senior officials - including the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, DGP, ADGs, IGs, DIGs, DMs and SPs - have been arbitrarily removed," she said.

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Terming the move "political interference of the highest order", Banerjee added: "This is not governance. It reflects chaos and incompetence passed off as authority... a deliberate design to seize control of the state."