Kolkata (West Bengal):Former Kolkata mayor and TMC MLA Sovan Chatterjee, who recently joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Sunday sought police protection, claiming that security provided to him was "suddenly withdrawn" after he switched over to the saffron fold.
In an email to Kolkata Police Commissioner Anuj Sharma, which was also marked to the West Bengal DGP, state home secretary and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chatterjee said that his security personnel were removed on Saturday without any intimation.
"In the wee hours of August 17, suddenly all my security personnel were withdrawn by your office without any intimation...It is pertinent to mention here that I apprehend such withdrawal of security personnel may be because of the vindictiveness of the state government against me as I've joined the BJP on August 14," he said.
Chatterjee said that in spite of resigning from the post of mayor and as a minister on November 22, 2018, his security arrangement was not reduced, as the West Bengal government and police were aware of threats to his life.