Terming the order to recall her state’s chief secretary, Mr Alapan Bandopadhyay, as “unconstitutional, illegal, unilateral” and “a result of political vendetta”, chief minister Mamata Banerjee today appealed to the Centre to withdraw it. On Friday evening, Mr Bandopadhyay was recalled by the Central government and asked to report to the department of personnel and training at North Block, New Delhi, at 10 a.m. on 31 May.

The directive came a few hours after Miss Banerjee skipped the meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the impact of Cyclone Yaas. “I appeal to the Central government to withdraw this letter and allow him (Mr Bandopadhyay) to work for the cyclone-affected people of the state and on Covid,” she said at a Press conference at Nabanna this afternoon. Miss Banerjee said that in view of the pandemic, she had asked for Mr Bandopadhyay’s extension on 10 May and the Centre gave its approval on 24 May.

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“Now after four days they are asking him to report to Delhi. Under which rule are they doing this? I sincerely appeal to them to withdraw the recall letter,” she said, adding that Mr Bandopadhyay is being unnecessarily maligned towards the end of his career. Miss Banerjee alleged that she had been humiliated on Friday using “fake news that was pushed by the office of the Prime Minister”.

“Why are you behaving like this? Is it just because we won a landslide victory (in the state Assembly election)? People of Bengal voted for us and they ousted you. Please accept the mandate,” she said. A major political row had erupted over Miss Banerjee reportedly arriving 30 minutes late at the review meeting chaired by the Prime Minister and instead of attending it, handing over documents related to the impact of the cyclone and leaving.

Many BJP leaders, including party president JP Nadda, Leader of Opposition in the Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari and Union home minister Amit Shah slammed Miss Banerjee for this. Miss Banerjee said that she had sought the PM’s permission thrice before leaving.

“I am ready to touch the PM’s feet for the welfare of Bengal’s people as they are my first to last priority. I can do everything for the  people of my state. But I should not be humiliated and insulted.” Elaborating on her visit to Kalaikunda, Miss Banerjee said she had to wait on the road for 20 minutes for the ATC’s (Air Traffic Control) permission.

“When we reached, they asked us to sit. I asked them to allow us a minute to submit a report. The SPG ( Special Protection Group) told us that the meeting will be in one hour. We told the PM that we’ve to go to Digha as the weather is not good… I handed over the report to him and took his permission three times before we left,” Miss Banerjee added. Referring to visuals being circulated of empty chairs at the review meeting, she said that she spoke to Mr Modi for several minutes which was not photographed and circulated.

“Since last night so many political leaders have made unjust comments to tarnish my image and the image of my government,” she said. She further questioned why the Leader of Opposition was not present when the Prime Minister visited Gujarat or Odisha. “It was supposed to be a PM-CM meeting. Then later it was revised with the presence of Central ministers, Leader of Opposition and the Governor,” she said.

On criticisms of her not welcoming the Prime Minister, Miss Banerjee said state minister Saumen Mahapatra was deputed as the Prime Minister’s minister-in-waiting.