Army seeks Bengal Governor’s intervention over Mamata’s Fort William and SIR claim

The Indian Army’s Eastern Command has formally approached West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose, objecting to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s allegation that a senior Army officer stationed at Fort William was working on the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to support the BJP.

According to officials at Raj Bhavan, two senior Army officers from Fort William—the headquarters of the Eastern Command—met Governor Bose last week and submitted a communication expressing concern over the chief minister’s remarks. The officers reportedly sought the Governor’s intervention, stating that the allegation cast aspersions on the political neutrality of the armed forces.

Army flags Mamata’s Fort William claim

While the details of the meeting were not officially disclosed, a senior official said the Governor had taken “serious note” of the issue and flagged it with authorities at the Centre.

“The army officers are understood to have spoken to the Governor and requested his intervention in the matter. The Army is peeved with the chief minister’s recent remarks suggesting that a commandant of the forces was working for the BJP while remaining posted at Fort William,” the official said.

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Mamata had made the allegation on January 13 while addressing a press conference at the state secretariat, Nabanna, amid growing political tension over the SIR exercise in poll-bound West Bengal.

"I have information that a commandant at Fort William is working on SIR to lend support to the BJP. He is sitting there and doing the work of the BJP party office. I request them with folded hands to desist from such activities," she had said.

The chief minister did not provide further details about the officer or the basis of her claim, but asserted that Army personnel were using the command base to carry out political activities related to the controversial revision of electoral rolls.

Governor alerts Centre, Defence Ministry

Governor Bose had earlier responded cautiously to the remarks, indicating that he would examine the matter before acting. "Let me first verify for myself what she said. If this violates any constitutional propriety, I will certainly intervene," he had said.

Following the meeting with the Army officers, it is understood that the Governor has approached the Defence Ministry, drawing attention to what officials described as the “gravity” of the issue.

A senior official at Fort William confirmed that the interaction with the Governor had taken place.

“Two of our officers met the honourable governor recently regarding the comments made by the honourable chief minister of West Bengal. They discussed the issue with the honourable governor, who assured them that he would look into the matter,” the official said.

Political storm over SIR exercise

Mamata’s remarks triggered sharp political reactions across party lines, further intensifying the charged atmosphere around the SIR exercise, which has already deepened fault lines between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP, with the Left and Congress also weighing in.

BJP’s West Bengal unit president Samik Bhattacharya dismissed the allegation as baseless and mocked the chief minister’s remarks.

"Mamata Banerjee thinks she can say anything because she considers herself the President of West Bengal,” Bhattacharya said.

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"She doesn't consider West Bengal a state within India; she thinks of Bengal as a sovereign nation and herself its president," he added.

The CPI(M) also termed the allegation serious but urged the chief minister to substantiate her claim through constitutional and administrative channels.

"This is an absolutely serious issue. We must find out the truth behind this allegation," CPI(M) state secretary Md Salim had said, maintaining that Mamata should write to the Defence Minister and establish the veracity of her statement.

(With inputs from agency)