Don’t politicise Army matters: Manohar Parrikar writes to Mamata Banerjee

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has written to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for dragging the Indian Army into controversy when she had alleged an “attempted military coup” in the state last week. The Trinamool Congress president had questioned the Army’s presence in several parts of the state. Parrikar explained that the Army’s Eastern Command in West Bengal had carried out an exercise on December 1 and 2 after consulting concerned state agencies.

“Your allegations in this regard run the risk of adversely impacting the morale of the country’s armed forces,” Parrikar said in the letter, explaining that the exercise had been carried out to collect data on the movement of vehicles at toll gates. “Army authorities were forced to put the record straight in the matter by presenting evidence of their communication.”

Parriker further urged Banerjee to not politicise matters of the Army. “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 said.

TMC MP Derek O’Brien said they had yet to receive Parrikar’s note. “A letter from the defence minister was leaked to the media before reaching the chief minister; now you know who is playing politics. We will give a befitting reply when it comes,” he said.

On December 1, Banerjee had alleged that Army personnel had been deployed at two points in the state – in Dankuni, Hooghly district, and Palsit, Bardhaman distrcit. “It seems that the central government is trying to create a civil war-like situation in the country,” she had said.