‘Politically motivated questions’: Mamata Banerjee corners Centre on CAPF exam row, BJP hits back

Banerjee on Wednesday said she hit out at the Centre over the “politically motivated” questions asked in the highly competitive exam and said it proved that the BJP had politicized the central forces to serve its political interests. She alleged that the questions were prepared at the “BJP party office” and undermined the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

Banerjee said, “I was shocked to see that politically motivated questions were asked in an exam conducted by UPSC. I respect UPSC and our central forces. It shows how the BJP has politicized the central forces to serve its political interests. We have seen how CAPF were used to capture booths and kill people at Sitalkuchi in Coochbehar during the assembly poll in West Bengal”.

Hitting back against Banerjee’s allegations, the BJP said there is nothing wrong in asking questions based on facts.

In April, four persons were killed in firing by the CAPF at a polling station at Sitalkuchi in Coochbehar during the fourth phase of the assembly poll in the state.

“This (question) is too much and completely unacceptable. What message are they (the Centre) trying to send out through this incident? That if you want to work in the central forces, you have to be a yes man of BJP and believe whatever canards they are spreading,” she said.

“The UPSC is setting questions under BJP’s direction. UPSC used to be impartial, but its question papers are now being prepared in BJP’s party office. Even the question in a UPSC paper on farmers’” protest was politically motivated,” she said, adding that the saffron party is “destroying institutions like the UPSC”.

The feisty TMC boss also slammed BJP for destroying the “secular fabric and Constitution of the country”. Referring to the recent NHRC report on post-poll violence in West Bengal, which had said the situation in the state was a manifestation of the “law of ruler” instead of “the rule of law”, Banerjee said the BJP has even politicized the rights body. 

“They (BJP) are giving out baseless and biased reports,” she added. Reacting to Banerjee”s allegations against the UPSC, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said the entire country should be made aware of the post-poll carnage in the state. 

“There is nothing wrong in asking questions that are based on facts. If TMC can include its political movements in Singur and Nandigram in textbooks, then why can’t questions be asked on political violence in West Bengal?” Ghosh asked.