The Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, has questioned the appointment of IAS officer Nandini Chakraborty as the home secretary of West Bengal, calling it ‘unlawful’. The BJP leader also said he would challenge the appointment in court. The government had on the last day of 2023 notified the appointments of B.P. Gopalika, previously serving as home secretary, as state chief minister after the retirement of Harikrishna Dwivedi, and of Nandini Chakraborty as home secretary.
Mr Adhikari, speaking to the media on Tuesday, said that Ms Chakraborty, who was previously the tourism Secretary, was unexpectedly appointed as the home secretary, superseding several officials who are senior to her. He said that the decision violates established norms and may have legal implications.
Mr Adhikari, in a post on his social media handle a day after the announcement, labeled the appointment as ‘unlawful’ and said he was ready to challenge it in court. He claimed to have gathered evidence suggesting irregularities in the appointment process, including alleged violations in the selection of other officials under the central government. In a separate post, Mr Adhikari also questioned the appointment of DGP Rajeev Kumar.
He alleged that 13 additional chief secretaries and 5 principal secretaries were overlooked to appoint Ms Chakraborty as home secretary. He claimed that Chief Minister had a history of making questionable appointments and called for a thorough investigation into the matter.