Parrikar writes to Mamata: Please don’t drag Indian Army into controversy

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has written a letter to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to express pain over dragging the Army into controversy.

Taking strong exception to the recent controversy regarding the activities of Indian Army’s Eastern Command in West Bengal, the defence minister insisted that the army was carrying out regular activities with all formalities in order. 

“I have been deeply pained by the allegations as reported in the media. If only you had enquired with the concerned agencies of the State Government, you would have come to know the extensive correspondence between Army and the state agencies including joint inspections of the sites carried out by them,” Parrikar said in his letter. 

#DefenceMinister @manoharparrikar writes to WB CM @MamataOfficial to express pain over dragging #IndianArmy into controversy pic.twitter.com/sjpvW2sg4q

— News Nation (@NewsNationTV) December 9, 2016

Dated Dec 8, the letter concerns to the high pitch political drama, which ensued between the night of Dec 1 and 2, where the West Bengal CM declared that she will stay put in her office until the illegal deployment of Indian Army is not removed from toll plazas in Kolkata and 18 other districts in the state. 

While the Indian Army claimed that it was a regular exercise being carried with prior information, Banerjee accused Centre of creating emergency like situation in the state. 

“Political parties and the politicians may have the luxury to make wild and unsubstaintiated allegations against each other but one needs to be exteremly careful while referring to the armed forces,” Parrikar said in the letter.