Army flags Mamata’s Fort William remark to Governor

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s allegation that a senior Army officer posted at Fort William was working for the BJP has triggered a serious institutional and political controversy. Addressing a press conference at the state secretariat Nabanna on January 13, Banerjee claimed that a “commandant” stationed at the Army’s Eastern Command headquarters in Kolkata was involved in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to benefit the BJP. She alleged that the officer was using the Fort William base to carry out political work and appealed to the forces to desist from such activities.

The remarks drew a strong response from the Indian Army, which maintains strict political neutrality. Two senior Army officers from Fort William met West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose last week and submitted a communication objecting to the chief minister’s comments. Army officials conveyed their concern that the allegations compromised the apolitical character of the armed forces and sought the Governor’s intervention in the matter.

Following the meeting, the Governor reportedly took serious note of the issue and has approached the Defence Ministry, flagging the gravity of the allegations. Bose had earlier said he would verify the CM’s remarks and intervene if any constitutional impropriety was found.

The controversy has unfolded amid a charged political atmosphere in poll-bound West Bengal, where the Election Commission’s SIR of electoral rolls has sharpened tensions between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition BJP. The BJP dismissed Banerjee’s claims as baseless and irresponsible, while the CPI(M) termed the allegation serious and said the chief minister must formally pursue the matter with the Defence Ministry and substantiate her charge.

The issue has brought civil-military relations and the neutrality of the armed forces into sharp focus, with the Army seeking to firmly distance itself from any perception of political involvement.