A storm erupted Thursday after the Trinamool Congress alleged “a conspiracy to eliminate” its leader Mamata Banerjee who was on an IndiGo flight that was made to hover over Kolkata “despite being low on fuel” the previous night. The Chief Minister sparked another row when she questioned the Centre on the presence of Army personnel at toll plazas in “various parts of the state”, including one near state secretariat Nabanna.
The Army said it was conducting an “annual exercise… as per government orders” and there was “nothing alarming”. Around midnight, it withdrew, saying data had been gathered.
Earlier, Banerjee had told that the Army deployment was in “clear violation of the Constitution” and a bid to “create a civil war like situation in the country”. She decided to spend the night at the secretariat: “This is very unfortunate that the Army is present outside Nabanna despite police objection. I am staying here, guarding our democracy.”
