Mamata Banerjee's security cover breached, CM reprimands security officials

A girl breached the three-tier security of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee while she was addressing a public meeting at Hemtabad in North Dinajpur district in February. The CM reprimanded her security officials after the incident.

At around 2.30 pm while Mamata was speaking, two girls, later identified as siblings Rabya Khatoon and Ameera Khatoon, crawled through the bamboo barricade, crossed the ‘D’ zone and both of them rushed up the ramp to the stage from both sides. While Ameera was stopped by security officials, Rabya managed to go up the stage and fall at Mamata’s feet interrupting her speech. “Do you see the lacuna (in security system),” she told her security officials. “If you have any grievance or trouble you may write a letter to me stating details. This is not the procedure,” she added.

Under the instructions of the CM Rabya was made to sit at one corner of the stage and was inquired why she did so. District officials apprised Mamata that their father Sk Mofizuddin was killed in a land dispute in 2015. Later they got a home under the Gitanjali Housing Scheme, one of their family members had got a government job after the murder of Mofizuddin and the four accused in the murder had been arrested and at present, they were out on bail while the case is on. “They have got a house from the government, a job and are getting all the benefits of government schemes. What else do they want,” Mamata said.

Later speaking to media persons, Rabya said that she wanted justice for her father’s death and had been trying to reach the CM at Malda district as well where she was addressing a public meeting on February 20. “I have come to request her to look into the case of our father’s murder. We went to Malda as well but could not meet. We want justice for our father’s death. We are living in a lot of misery,” she said.

Both the sisters have been detained by police for questioning.

Sources at Nabanna, the state secretariat, said that an investigation into the matter had been initiated to find out which officers were at fault which led to the security breach of the CM who was entitled to a Z-plus category security.

After the programme at North Dinajpore, Mamata flew in a helicopter to Siliguri where her security was beefed up as several women officers were also pressed into action.

During her speech, she lambasted the Central government saying that it was with their help that deposits of common people at banks were being looted by a handful people and the Central government was trying to make it up by lowering interest rates of deposits and provident funds. Again, without taking the name of CPI(M) MP from Raigunj, Md Salim, she said, “One CPI(M) MP only gives speeches on TV and does not do any work. If his face is not seen on TV, his wife doesn’t give him food.”