Mamata govt making mockery of democracy, constitutional propriety: BJP

The BJP Sunday slammed the Mamata Banerjee-led government in West Bengal after Kolkata Police stopped the CBI from questioning its chief, accusing it of making a mockery of governance, democracy and constitutional propriety.

The party said the state government's action is a direct assault on the constitutional scheme of things and reflects dictatorial streak of the chief minister.

"The development in Kolkata and the resistance to the CBI investigation is bizarre, unprecedented and reflect Banerjee's dictatorial attitude. She has violated the very Constitution she had sworn by," party spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao said.

Noting that the CBI has been probing the chit fund scams on the Supreme Court's order, he said the city police's action amounts to disrespect and disobedience to the apex court.

Nalin Kohli, another BJP spokesperson, described the situation in the state as unprecedented and said it is an indication of "total collapse" of law and order.

Never before a premier investigation agency like the CBI has been stopped from doing its work, which is working under the court's direction.

"It is clear that the state government under Mamata Banerjee has lost sight of all constitutional propriety. People can see what a mockery of governance, democracy and constitutional propriety taking place," he said.

BJP leaders also spoke about how the state government "refused" its leaders from exercising their democratic rights by preventing them from attending rallies and other political programmes in the state.

Rao said the state government has been indulging in undemocratic and unconstitutional action for long and the Sunday's action by the Kolkata Police is "an assault beyond all limitations".