Modi government to withdraw medals of police officers present at Mamata's dharna: Report

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government to take action against five Kolkata Police cops who took part in 'Save India' dharna. The names of the officers are Virendra (DGP, IPS, 1985), Vineet Kumar Vital (IPS, 1994 director security, ADG rank), Anuj Sharma (IPS 1991, ADG L&O), Gyanwant Singh (1993 batch IPS CP Bidhan Naga commissionerate), Supratim Sarkar (IPS 1997 additional CP, Kolkata Police). According to the sources, the MHA is considering to initiate a number of measures against defaulting officers such as withdrawing medals or decoration which was conferred on them for meritorious services etc.

"Centre may also remove names of the delinquent officers from the empanelled list and bar them for certain period from serving in the central government," according to the sources. The centre is also contemplating issuing an advisory to all the states to ensure that officers of uniformed forces adhere to conduct rules.

Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the state government is yet to receive any notice from the Ministry of Home Affairs for taking disciplinary action against Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar for allegedly violating service conduct rules.

The chief secretary or the home secretary will reply to the notice after it was received, she told reporters at the state secretariat. Banerjee was replying to a query about reports from New Delhi that the MHA has asked the state government to take steps against Kumar for his alleged violation of the All India Service (Conduct) Rules by attending the Trinamool Congress chief's dharna in Kolkata.

Mamata Banerjee said the state government is yet to receive any notice from the MHA for taking disciplinary action against Rajeev Kumar.

"No such letter was received till this afternoon. At a meeting to discuss the business summit tomorrow, I asked the chief secretary and home secretary whether they had received any such letter. They said no," Banerjee said. On how contents of the purported letter found mention in a section of the media, she said, "I don't know."

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Banerjee had described as "blatant lie" the MHA's charge that the city police chief had participated in her dharna and said the officer never went up to the dais. Banerjee was on a sit-in protest for three days against the CBI's attempt to question the Kolkata Police Commissioner in connection with chit fund scams.

She called off her dharna on Tuesday evening after the Supreme Court forbade the CBI from taking any coercive action against Kumar, but vowed to wage a battle against the Narendra Modi government till it was ousted from power.

Banerjee sat on a "Save India" dharna in front of Metro Cinema in the heart of the city insisting that the latest CBI action was tantamount to stifling the spirit of "Constitution and federalism" in the country. Her fight got support from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Andhra Pradesh counterpart Chandrababu Naidu other prominent leaders such as Sharad Pawar, Farooq Abdullah, DMK's Kanimozhi, RJD's Tejashwi Yadav.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The MHA is considering to initiate a number of measures against officers.
• Mamata Banerjee sat on a "Save India" dharna on February 3.
• Mamata Banerjee called off her dharna on Tuesday evening.