Armymen at toll plazas: Has Emergency been imposed, asks Mamata Banerjee

Banerjee claimed people got panicky due to the deployment of army at the toll plazas.

Kolkata, Dec 1: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the Centre of creating a situation "worse than Emergency" by deploying army personnel at two toll plazas on a national highway without informing her government.

Talking to reporters at the state secretariat, she alleged army was deployed at two toll plazas at Palsit and Dankuni on NH 2.

"Army has been deployed at two toll plazas without informing the state government. This is a very serious situation worse than Emergency," she said.

"It is an attack on the federal structure. We want to know the details. The Chief Secretary is writing to the Centre. Given an opportunity I will talk to the President on the issue. Has Emergency been imposed in the country without declaration?" she asked.

"Army is our asset. We are proud of them. We requisition army in times of major disaster or communal flare up. "I don't know what has actually happened. Even if there is mock-trial, state government is informed," she said.

Banerjee claimed people got panicky due to the deployment of army at the toll plazas. When contacted, a defence spokesperson said the army conducts bi-annual exercise throughout the country to get statistical data about the load carriers that could be made available to the force in case of a contingency.

"There is nothing alarming about this and it is carried out as per government orders," Wing Commander S S Birdi said. The exercise gives an estimate about the number of vehicles passing through a certain area that could be tapped during operations, he said.

PTI