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Rabi Banerjee
Rabi Banerjee

West Bengal

What did Mamata do during her overnight stay at state secretariat?

PTI9_7_2016_000300B (File) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee

December 1 was the memorable day in West Bengal’s political history. On this day, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spent her night at her 13th floor cabin of the Hooghly River Bridge Corporation Building near Kolkata which is the make shift secretariat of the West Bengal government—a first by any chief minister. This was after learning about the army deployment at toll plazas across the state.

Here's an account of what she did at her office that night.

Mamata finished her work at 11 pm on that day. She then called up her cabinet colleagues who came rushing to her one by one. She talked to her senior party leaders over phone about the army deployment. The CM also asked her MPs to raise the issue in parliament and stall the houses.

Few senior ministers like Finance Minister Amit Mitra left the office, but many cabinet ministers stayed on with the chief minister.

Little after 12, Director General of Police Surajit Kar Purkayastha came to chief minister’s office. Sources said he was called by chief minister after the army told the media that police had been informed a month ago about the deployment of army at the toll plazas. Purkayastha said he was not aware, but added that may be Kolkata police were informed.

A furious Mamata called Kolkata Police Superintendent Rajiv Kumar, known to be very close to her, and expressed her disappointment over not being informed about the army’s intimation. It was 2 am when Kumar visited CM’s office.

Kumar said Additional Commissioner of Police Supratim Sarkar was informed. Sarkar was asked to clarify about the matter.

The chief minister then went to the antechamber of her house and had a short nap only after 3.30 am. The breakfast was arranged from home and some senior leaders visited her in the morning.

She got calls from many leaders in Delhi. Congress leader Ahmad Patel called her at 9 am and took stock of the situation and her health. Mamata thanked Patel and said, “ I am ok.” She also discussed that she would not take the matter lightly and asked her MPs and MLA to burst into agitation.

Later, the chief minister was infuriated when she heard the way army ridiculed all her claim at a press meet.

Mamata decided to take the matter to the President of India who is the supreme commander of Indian Army. The chief minister asked her partymen to sent President Pranab Mukherjee pictures of the army deployment.

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