The Union Home Ministry has locked horns with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the dispatch of central forces to Tamil Nadu to provide security cover to IT officials who had raided Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary P Rama Mohana Rao.
Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju has hit out at Banerjee saying some political leaders are trying to create unnecessary "political issues" only for public consumption even as he defended the Home Ministry's move.
Banerjee had accused the Centre of showing the might of central forces by providing security cover to the IT officials and had even written to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, protesting the raids and the deployment of central forces without the knowledge of the state administration.
"It has been observed that some political leaders are trying to create issues which is for public consumption. In this case, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has raised certain issues. Central paramilitary forces are used whenever it is felt necessary. After all, the central forces are there to ensure that the internal security of the nation is maintained. And whenever there is any concern about public order being disturbed, central forces are used. It is not to intimidate anybody or achieve any political gain. We ensure that the law and order is maintained at all costs. So it is totally unnecessary to create a political issue out of it," he told THE WEEK.
Banerjee dubbed the move "vindictive, unethical and technically improper action" while the BJP has hit back, calling her the "queen of corruption".
An unrelenting Banerjee had, however, tweeted; "Earlier, the principal secretary of Arvind Kejriwal was raided and harassed. Now I read the chief secretary of Tamil Nadu has also been raided. Why this vindictive, unethical, technically improper action? Is it only to disturb the federal structure."
"Why don't they raid Amit Shah and others who are collecting money? While corruption needs to be condemned strongly, the raid on chief secretary by central agencies devalues the institution of head of the civil service."
