New Delhi: The row over Army taking over road toll plazas in West Bengal on Friday echoed in Parliament with TMC seeing "sinister" designs behind the move and the government vehemently denying the charge, saying it was a routine exercise conducted in full knowledge of the local authorities.
The issue was raised in both Houses of Parliament with main opposition Congress too seeking clarification on the army deployment at 19 toll plazas in West Bengal.
In lok Sabha, Defence Minister Manmohar Parrikar termed it a "routine exercise not unique to West Bengal" and saying that similar operations to collect information on heavy vehicle movement that can be used during national emergencies had last month being conducted in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand.
Along with West Bengal, similar exercise was carried out in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, Meghlaya and Mizoram, he said while responding to TMC and Congress MPs.
He also stated that originally the exercise was planned for November 28-30 but was shifted to December 1 and 2 at the request of Kolkata Police as those dates were clashing with the protests against demonetisation.
"It is shocking that a Chief Minister is saying this. The Army's deployment was part of routine exercise which has been going on for several years, which has been going on for last 15-20 years. Even last year it was held on November 19 to 21," Parrikar said.
The Minister said Army's Eastern Command has been carrying out the exercise in West Bengal, Assam and other North Eastern states and a similar exercise has already been carried out in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand.
"Concerned officials were informed in West Bengal. The original date was fixed for November 28 to 30 but due to Bharat Bandh the local police had advised the army to shift it to December 1 and 2," he said. "Due to traffic congestion, the exercise is being done with the help of local police."
TMC leaders in both Houses alleged that neither the state government, nor local administration including police were taken into confidence on the exercise or their permission sought.
Congress and BSP too wanted to know from the government how such an unprecedented move to carry out an army exercise without taking state government into confidence was done.
"It was very unfortunate that army has been dragged into an unnecessary controversy," Parrikar said. "It was political frustration rather than projection of correct situation."
Meanwhile, urging political parties to refrain from dragging army into politics, Senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Friday asked both the TMC government in West Bengal and the BJP government at the Centre not to indulge in petty politics over functioning of the armed forces.
"We would like to urge both TMC government in West Bengal and BJP government at the Centre not to indulge in petty politics over functioning of the armed forces. Army should not be dragged into politics. Army fights for the nation, sacrifices their life for the safety and security of our country," Pilot told reporters here.
"If the army was doing the checking without informing the state, then Defence minister should make a statement and if the army has done the checking after informing the state, then the state government should come out clean on why they are making such statements. I would request both TMC and BJP not to drag army into politics," Pilot, a former Union minister, said.
