In Bengal, another BJP MP booked under Disaster Management Act; guv fumes

The West Bengal Police booked a second Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP on Friday under certain sections of the Disaster Management Act (DMA), 2005 and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for disrupting the administration’s work during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Significantly on Friday, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar lashed out at the Mamata Banerjee administration for obstructing parliamentarians from carrying out their duties. Dhankhar said that this “major misconduct is under scrutiny for exemplary action” and tagged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in his tweet.

Alipurduar MP John Barla, who on April 14 had written to union home minister Amit Shah alleging that he had been put under ‘house arrest’, was booked under section 51 of the DMA (punishment for obstruction) and section 188 of the IPC (disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant). The FIR against Barla has been lodged at Birpara police station in Alipurduar district.

On April 14, police in Bankura district had booked BJP MP Subhas Sarkar under sections 54 of DMA, 188 and 501 (1) (b) of the IPC, for allegedly spreading false rumours. Party MP Arjun Singh, too, has alleged that the state administration did not allow him to carry out relief work for people in need.

Responding to this series of incidents, Dhankhar wrote on Twitter on Friday, “Concerned at politically motivated actions meted out to MPs @Drsubhassarkar @johnbarlabjp @ArjunsinghWB @RajuBistaBJP by police and administration. @MamataOfficial in overzealous mode Flagged issue @loksabhaspeaker. This major misconduct is under scrutiny for exemplary action”.

“Those so engaged are in for serious consequences. Such political alignment will not be overlooked. State officials must disable political affinity,” Dhankhar wrote in the following tweet.

Earlier during the day, chief minister Mamata Banerjee, while addressing the media, had said that some people were playing politics even during a crisis.

On April 15, Barla had written a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah alleging that he has been put under ‘house arrest’ by the district administration.

On Friday, Barla wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging mismanagement in the distribution of ration and relief material.