Not the time to fight with state govts: Arvind Kejriwal on Centre's recall of Bengal CS Alapan Bandyopadhyay

Slamming the Modi government, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief, Arvind Kejriwal, tweeted, "This is not the time to fight with the state governments, but to fight Corona together with everyone.

"This is the time to help the state governments, to provide them with vaccines, to work with all the state governments as Team India. The entire life is left to fight and do politics."

Earlier, the Congress had lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government on the matter that has triggered a flashpoint between the Centre and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted, "Modi Govt’s Malicious Recall of Bengal Chief Secretary is death knell for Federalism. Union Govt’s Lethal Assault on Democracy will create Anarchy in the Country!!"

In the same tune, Congress senior leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted, " Independent India hasn’t seen a PM and HM with bigger egos and smaller minds. This move in the middle of a pandemic and the aftermath of a devastating cyclone, shows how they are still licking their Bengal wounds post elections. Pathetic!"

After an oral request, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Modi, requesting him to undo the recall of the state's Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay, who is officially retiring on May 31.

In a five-page letter, Banerjee spoke about federalism calling the decision of recall "unilateral", "undemocratic" and "unconstitutional". 

"The government of Bengal cannot release, and is not releasing, its Chief Secretary at this critical hour, on the basis of our understanding that the earlier order of extension, issued after lawful consultation in accordance with applicable laws, remains operational and valid," she wrote in the letter.

Within hours after Banerjee and the CS skipped Modi's cyclone Yaas review meeting on Friday at Kalaikunda in West Bengal, Bandyopadhyay was asked to report to the Department of Personnel and Training, North Block, New Delhi by 10 am on Monday.

The Centre had asked the state government to release Bandyopadhyay, whose tenure was extended by the Centre as per the State's request just days ago, from the charge.

However, the Chief Secretary has no plans to fly to Delhi as of now and instead he is scheduled to attend the Chief Minister's meeting on cyclone Yaas at state secretariat Nabanna at 3pm on Monday.

The state government did not release Bandyopadhyay, whose tenure was sought by the state government to be extended for the handling of COVID-19 pandemic.