The word “Mamata” means affection in English, a quality which is absolutely lacking in West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. This has become evident from the recent polls in West Bengal and the Chief Minister’s swearing in ceremony in Karnataka. Mamata Banerjee left West Bengal to attend the swearing in ceremony of H.D. Kumaraswamy on Wedensday, the 23rd of May. There had been multiple allegations levied against Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress for using force against other party members in the state throughout the Panchayat poll process. Right from the campaigning period to the pre-poll period Mamata has successfully shied away from accepting the blame for her party workers’ violent conduct. Her tacit approval has emboldened TMC workers who have unleashed hell on BJP and other opposition parties in the West Bengal. Her stance on democracy has been made clear after the manner in which she ensured TMC’s win in the state. Mamata Banerjee did not fail to create such an impact in her one-day visit to Karnataka as well. Her wrath fell on Karnataka Director General of Police (DGP) Neelamani Raju, who had committed the blunder of making Mamata walk a short distance to reach the venue of H.D. Kumaraswamy’s swearing in.
DGP Neelamani Raju is the first women DGP of Karnataka, having joined the Karnataka cadre of the Indian Police Services (IPS) in 1983. She had become DGP Karnataka in 1983. There was some sort of problem with Mamata’s vehicle which had to stop a few hundred metres away from the venue of the swearing in. Mamata Banerjee had to walk a short distance in order to reach the venue; she was accompanied by DGP Raju throughout her short walk. She looked angry and disturbed at the fact that she had to walk. She felt so humiliated and enraged at the fact that she had to walk that she took up the issue with political leaders who had gathered to show solidarity with the JDS-Congress alliance.
Her complaints did not stop even after she had reached the stage as video footage shows Mamata Banerjee complaining to H.D. Devegowda. She eventually settled down after H.D. Devegowda pacified her with his assurances. The assurance given to Mamata Banerjee came to light when H.D. Kumaraswamy ordered the transfer of DGP Raju right after taking the oath of CM in Karnataka. This is one of the first decisions taken by H.D. Kumaraswamy after he assumed the role of CM, and it goes on to show how the powerful behave as soon as they are in the position to influence someone else.
The stage during the Karnataka swearing ceremony was full of opposition party leaders who had joined hands to show their united solidarity against the BJP. This move indicates the treatment the people of India should be ready to receive if these “drunk on power” politicians are given the command of the country. TMC has made life difficult for the people of Bengal, and Mamata’s aspirations to become PM candidate for the third front must not receive the support of the Indian population.
There is an interesting outtake from the event though, as it still remains to be seen what Mamata Banerjee is going to do about the JDS-Congress leaders who had assigned her seats in the second row on the stage. Mamata cannot challenge this decision and so we believe the Congress-JDS leaders can feel safe with their successful attempt at humiliating the icon of “affection”. Nonetheless, the transfer of DGP Raju is a sad example of the state of politics in the nation, and the extent to which politicians are ready to go for pacifying their large egos.