# Bengal

Kalyan smells foul play in sending forces

He added: “I am well versed with the democratic constitutional rights and limitations of the states, the central government and the Election Commission. As far as my knowledge goes central forces cannot be sent or deployed in a state until the Election Commission issues notification regarding election. Hence it is my personal question ‘under whose directive the central forces have been sent to the state?’ The Election Commission sending central force to the state without prior notification appears to me as an act of political vindictiveness.”

Statesman News Service | Hooghly | February 22, 2021 2:48 pm

Kalyan smells foul play in sending forces

Serampore MP Kalyan Banerjee on Sunday said sending the central force to the state without notification being issued by the Election Commission “appears to me as political vindictiveness by the central government”.

Addressing a press meet, Banerjee said: “It is completely my personal opinion. It should not be misunderstood as a statement of the Trinamul Congress or the ruling TMC government.”

He added: “I am well versed with the democratic constitutional rights and limitations of the states, the central government and the Election Commission. As far as my knowledge goes central forces cannot be sent or deployed in a state until the Election Commission issues notification regarding election. Hence it is my personal question ‘under whose directive the central forces have been sent to the state?’ The Election Commission sending central force to the state without prior notification appears to me as an act of political vindictiveness.”

A day earlier Union home minister Amit Shah stated in a public meeting that very soon the central force will arrive in the state.

“It was understood in the political circle that soon the Election Commission will issue notifications about the election as usual and then the central forces will be deployed. Why the EC is taking so much time to issue notification? I presume that the central forces are sent to accommodate Narendra Modi and the BJP during their election campaign.”

Banerjee added: “Yet the state government has welcomed the central forces and has done the needful. It is the magnanimity of the state government to welcome the central forces which have arrived in the state wit hout prior notification from the EC.”