Army deployed in state without intimation, unprecedented: Mamata Banerjee

KOLKATA: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that army had been deployed in two toll plaza on National Highway. Holding an urgent press conference in the state secretariat, Banerjee claimed that the army personnel were checking trucks passing through Palsit (Burdwan) and Dankuni (Hooghly) toll plaza without informing the state government. Calling it an ‘unprecedented and serious matter’, Banerjee said that Narendra Modi’s government has imposed emergency without announcing it officially.

"Army deployed at two toll plazas on National Highway in West Bengal without informing state government. This is unacceptable. Has Emergency been imposed in the country without declaration?" Banerjee asked.

Pointing out that the army is normally deployed during disasters; she called the day as "black day". She further added, "In a federal structure, the functions of centre and state are clearly divided. We know our jurisdictions."

Meanwhile army clarified that the presence of army personnel at Palsit toll plaza was a part of its regular mock drill.

"The army conducts bi annual exercise throughout the county with the aim of getting statistical data about the load carriers that could be made available to the Army in case of a contingency. For this purpose vehicles are spotted to get basic parameters like make load capacity etc. The vehicle is then marked so that the next checkpoint knows that the vehicle had already been checked for the parameters. There is nothing alarming about this and it is carried out as per government orders," said official statement issued by the Eastern Command.

Banerjee however raised the issue of not intimating the state about the drill. "Even if the Army conducted mock trial, the permission of the state should have been sought," she added.