New Delhi: Defence minister Manohar Parrikar on Friday wrote a letter to West Bengal chief minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee, who had earlier protested the presence of the army on national highways in her state, stating that making false allegations against the military would hurt its morale.
“Your allegations about the army run the risk of adversely impacting the morale of the country’s military forces and the same were not expected from a person of your standing and experience in public life,” Parrikar said in the letter.
On December one, Banerjee had accused the federal government of creating a situation “worse than Emergency” by deploying army personnel at Palsit and Dankuni toll plazas on NH-2 without informing her government. Banerjee’s party Trinamool Congress (TMC) alleged that the central government was arm-twisting the state.
Banerjee had asked whether it was part of “some sort of coup attempt” against her government.
Parrikar, however, said on Friday that the exercises were routine and held as per the dates convenient to the army in consultation with agencies of the state government.
“I have been deeply pained by your allegations as reported in the media. If only you had enquired with the agencies concerned of the state government, you would have come to know of the extensive correspondence between the army and the state agencies including the joint inspection of sites carried out by them,” Parrikar wrote.
“Political parties and politicians may have the luxury of making wild and unsubstantiated allegations against each other but one needs to be extremely careful while referring to our armed forces,” he added.
Parrikar said in the Lok Sabha that the army had conducted a routine exercise in Kolkata. “I am very sad that such routine exercise by army is being used for controversy by Trinamool Congress party. It was a standard practice. Mamata Banerjee’s reaction indicates political frustration,” he told the lower house of parliament.
Parrikar stressed that the Indian army is one of the most disciplined institutions of the country, dedicated to the safety and security of the nation.
Reacting to the letter, senior TMC leader Derek O’Brien said that Banerjee was yet to receive it.
“We have not yet received the letter issued by the defence minister to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. However, it has already been leaked to media. We will give a befitting reply when it comes,” O’Brien said.
Another TMC leader Sukhendu Shekhar said: “We have all respect for Indian army. We have also submitted the detail on how army was deployed. What the defence minister has written is totally rubbish.”
Army officials too had earlier termed Banerjee’s allegations of a coup attempt as “baseless”.
“We deny this charge categorically. This is absolutely wrong. The exercise simply involved collection of data in all northeastern states. This was done not just in West Bengal but nine north-eastern states at 80 such data collection points. It was an annual exercise and was carried out at same locations last year too. Also the army officials were unarmed,” Major General Sunil Yadav told media in Kolkata.
