KOLKATA: The 76th Republic Day saw an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation between the Bengal govt and Raj Bhavan over Kolkata Police band's participation at the traditional "At Home" R-Day ceremony.
Five seniors of the state administration, including CM Mamata Banerjee, waited outside the Raj Bhavan gates on Sunday afternoon after learning that the KP band was not being allowed to participate in the R-Day ceremony. "This is very wrong," Banerjee said, refusing to step inside the Raj Bhavan gates as Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim, state chief secretary Manoj Pant, home secretary Nandini Chakravorty and DGP Rajeev Kumar waited with her.
Raj Bhavan blinked within a few minutes as the KP band was allowed in; the governor's office later issued a notice, stating any break from tradition could be done only with the explicit approval of the Raj Bhavan chief of staff.
Banerjee noticed the KP band standing outside as she was about to enter Raj Bhavan gates. "I have called them but they are not performing. The governor's house is not under the Centre but (under) the state. Please remember this. You (Raj Bhavan) cannot disregard Kolkata Police and West Bengal Police. I will not enter if they are not let in," she said. tnn
Mamata: KP band represents the state, Raj Bhavan can't do whatever it wishes They (the KP band) are not individuals, they represent the state. They (Raj Bhavan) cannot do whatever they wish," CM Banerjee said, digging her heels in.
Senior Raj Bhavan officials immediately allowed the KP band to enter and allowed it to perform. Banerjee then stepped in and asked it to play "Bharat amar Bharatbarsha". She later had a detailed discussion with governor C V Ananda Bose on the Raj Bhavan lawns.
Officer on special duty to the governor, Sandeep Singh, later issued a statement: "The KP band was assigned space different from the usual for the At Home ceremony. I intervened when this was pointed out to me and called the police bandset and gave them a suitable place where they performed. I also explained this to the CM and she listened to the band for some time. The governor has ordered that any departure from precedence on ceremonial occasions should be done only with the prior approval of the chief of staff."
"CM Banerjee was anguished to learn that, in a break from tradition, the SSB band and not the police band would be performing," Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said.
The KP band, among the oldest in the country, has been an essential part of important ceremonial celebrations in Bengal, including those in Raj Bhavan. A Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) band, too, performed at the Raj Bhavan on Sunday.