Slugfest erupts in Bengal over Governor’s complaint to MHA against two IPS officers

Kolkata: As information came out about West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose recommending disciplinary action against two senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officers of the state cadre to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs,a political slugfest broke out over the possible outcome of the complaint.

In the complaint, the Governor has reportedly accused the IPS officers -- Kolkata police commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal and deputy commissioner (central division) of the city police Indira Mukherjee of pursuing a police complaint filed against the Governor by a woman temporary staffer of the Raj Bhavan a couple of months back.

Raj Bhavan insiders said that since pursuing the complaint is a violation of Article 361 (2) and (3) of the Constitution which bars the state police from investigating any complaint against a Governor during his term in office, the Governor has recommended disciplinary action against these officers mainly responsible for pursuing the matter.

The Governor has filed a defamation suit against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and some Trinamool Congress leaders over the latter’s derogatory comments onr this matter. The hearing is scheduled for July 10.

Bharatiya Janata Party leaders here have welcomed the complaint by the Governor on the grounds that the police officers are expected to follow the provisions of the Constitution and not go by the directions of the ruling party.

“So if the Union government takes any disciplinary action against the two IPS officers for overlooking the constitutional provisions there will be nothing wrong in that,” said state BJP leader and the party’s former national secretary Rahul Sinha. The leaders of the ruling Trinamool Congress have pointed out that the police has already clarified that the investigation in the matter is not against anyone but on the merits of the complaint by the Raj Bhavan staff.

Meanwhile, bureaucratic circles too are not quite sure of the possible impact of the complaint. “It is right that generally the Union government takes action against any all-India service official bypassing the state government. However, at the same time the Department of Personnel & Training, which is under the Union ministry of personnel, public grievances and pensions, has the final word regarding the service matters of all-India service officers. So we will have to adopt a wait and watch policy,” said a retired additional chief secretary of the state government.