West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has violated oath of constitution: BJP

Launching a fresh attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the BJP on Saturday alleged that she has "violated the oath of Constitution" and created a system in the state where leaders from other parties are not allowed to carry out their political activities.

"She has violated the oath of Constitution itself because she is not understanding the fact that Bengal is part of India and the Indian government has as much authority over Bengal as the state government. The state government is not a law into itself and can not be a law into itself," said BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi.

Targeting Banerjee-led West Bengal government for allegedly denying permission to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's chopper to land in the state, Lekhi said it was the constitutional right of the leaders to address political rallies anywhere in the country they want.

"By erecting unconstitutional organisations, she (Banerjee) has created a system where the chief ministers of other states can't go, the leaders of other parties can't go. No other party has the right to say anything there. Through this medium of "loot-tantra"(tool to loot) and "jhooth-tantra" (tool to lie), she is running her government.

"Many states in the country are not ruled by the BJP. In these states, BJP president Amit Shah, party senior leaders and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states go and give their speeches and this is a constitutional right," said Lekhi addressing a press conference here.

On February 4, the West Bengal government allegedly denied permission to Adityanath's chopper to land in the state and let him address the two scheduled rallies in north Bengal. Adityanath had to then address the rallies in Raigunj and Balurghat via telephone.

On January 21, the BJP had alleged that the West Bengal government had denied permission for the landing of a helicopter carrying its president Amit Shah at an airstrip in Malda on January 22.

Denying the allegation, Banerjee had said, "For helicopter landing police gave all the permission. That's (the accusation) wrong."

On January 23, Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani could not attend her second rally of the day scheduled to be held at Suri in Birbhum district as the stated authorities allegedly denied permission to her chopper to land at Jhargram.

Lekhi said, "Two days back, a media house did some sting, and as per that sting, the police officers who were caught on the sting seem to have admitted the fact that there is no such exigency and no such situation for which an eruption of violence, due to a political rally or due to a political mobile-yatra of a party president will take place. And it was only a lie and it was supported by other lies that Mamata Banerjee, who is the Chief Minister, is engaging in these activities."

Lekhi, who is also the Lok Sabha MP from New Delhi constituency, sought to know from Banjerjee that why she did not sat on a dharna when her party MPs were interrogated by the CBI.

"Many of her party MPs have been interrogated by the CBI...Many of the people have gone to jail too. This chief minister never stood with any of these persons. She did not sit on a dharna for any of them.

"But when CBI asks for documents regarding investigation against one of her administrative officers, and interrogates him and asks him to return the evidence he collected as the head of the SIT, she sits on dharna along with him," she said.

The BJP leader said the police officer, who sat with her on dharna, has "violated" the All India Service Rules.

Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar was the functional head of the special investigation team (SIT) formed by Banerjee to probe the Saradha chit fund case and other chit fund cases, before it was handed over to the CBI by the apex court.

CBI officials had gone to Kumar's residence in Kolkata to question him on February 3 but their attempt was thwarted by the police, following which Banerjee staged a three-day dharna.

The marathon questioning of Kumar began at 11 am Saturday at the highly-secured CBI office at Oakland in Shillong as per the directions of the Supreme Court.