Kolkata, 22 December (H.S.) : West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Monday launched a sharp attack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah without naming him, accusing him of running the country in an authoritarian manner and exerting control even over the Prime Minister.

Addressing a programme of the party’s Booth Level Assistants, Banerjee alleged that the Centre was pushing the nation in a dangerous direction and systematically weakening democratic values. She said that in her entire political career, she had never seen such a “bad” Home Minister.

Without taking any name, Banerjee claimed that one individual was controlling everything in the country, including the Prime Minister. She said she had serious doubts and felt that the Home Minister was effectively running the entire nation. Warning against divisive politics, she remarked that if those who incite riots were allowed to govern the country, the consequences were easy to imagine. She urged people to think for themselves and observe what was happening around them.

The Trinamool Congress chief also accused the Centre of deliberately sidelining the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi. She said she had no objection to the name of Ram, but questioned the selective highlighting of religious symbolism while removing Gandhi’s name. Referring to funeral processions where “Ram naam satya hai” is chanted, she asked whether the removal of Gandhiji’s name was an attempt to push the country in that direction.

Banerjee also trained her guns on the Election Commission, alleging that Central government employees were being appointed as observers without informing the state government, which she said was against the spirit of federalism. She pointed out that most Booth Level Officers in the state were school teachers and that the Madhyamik examinations were approaching, putting additional pressure on them.

She said she had received information about the large-scale appointment of Central government officials and directed state officials to collect detailed information about the observers posted in different areas, including their departments and places of stay. While stating that she would cooperate, Banerjee said she needed complete transparency.

Accusing the Election Commission of acting deliberately without consulting the state, the Chief Minister alleged that state officials were being made observers without intimation and that micro-observers from Delhi were being appointed, whom she described as agents of the ruling party at the Centre.

Questioning their suitability, Banerjee said officials who did not understand local languages such as Rajbanshi, Kamtapuri, Lepcha or Nepali could not be expected to conduct hearings effectively in Bengal.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh