'Don't inflict suffering': Mamata writes to Modi on bureaucrat's transfer

Five quotes from the chief minister's letter addressing why she 'can't, won't' release civil servant.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to say that her government 'is not releasing’ Bengal chief secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay to report to the Centre. 

Bengal chief secretary Bandyopadhyay was to report in Delhi today. The recall order of Bandyopadhyay came hours after CM Mamata Banerjee did not attend the cyclone review meeting with Prime Minister Modi on Friday, where her former aide and current BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari was also present.

Here are some select quotes from her letter:

• "The government of Bengal cannot release, and is not releasing, its Chief Secretary at this critical hour, on the basis of our understanding that the earlier order of extension, issued after lawful consultation in accordance with applicable laws, remains operational and valid".

• "I am sure you will not inflict further suffering on the people of this state by taking away the services of an experienced officer, suddenly without any consultation and with no prior notice, whose continued presence in my state in these difficult times was accepted to be vital and necessary by your government four days back".

• "Does it have anything to do with our meeting at Kalaikunda? If that be the reason, it would be sad, unfortunate and would amount to sacrificing public interest at the altar of misplaced priorities"

• "You however revised the structure of the meeting to include a local MLA from your party and I am on the view (based on my knowledge of the affairs of the state for about 40 years) that he had no locus to be present at a PM-CM meeting"

• "Keeping aside my legitimate reservations, I entered the meeting with the Chief Secretary of my state to hand over the report to you. You personally took the report from My hand, and then I specifically and expressly sought permission from you for us to leave for Digha, our next cyclone-ravaged destination, where a meeting was due and participants were waiting. You expressly permitted us to take our leave"