New Delhi: Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders, including Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Derek O'Brien, and Kirti Azad Jha, on Saturday met with the Election Commission of India (ECI) to raise concerns about alleged violations by the BJP West Bengal president and the deployment of central forces in West Bengal's upcoming by-elections.
The TMC delegation submitted two formal letters to the ECI, urging immediate action to ensure fair conduct of the November 13 polls in six assembly constituencies across the state.
TMC MP Sushmita Dev, speaking to reporters, said, "A delegation of five Members of Parliament has lodged two complaints with the Election Commission of India. The Election Commission's 2003 deployment rules clearly state that central forces must be accompanied by state police representatives. However, what we are seeing in these by-elections is that central forces are coordinating with BJP leaders in West Bengal and are influencing voters to support the BJP."
Dev took a swipe at BJP State President Sukanta Majumdar for his alleged comments against the West Bengal Police. The TMC leader said, BJP talks about nationalism and a Union Minister (Sukanta Majumdar) is telling the state police to take off the Ashoka symbol and put a 'chappal' there. These kinds of derogatory remarks call for serious action from ECI. We condemn his statement...We expect immediate action."
In the first complaint letter, the TMC accused Sukanta Majumdar of delivering "false, derogatory, and defamatory" statements against the West Bengal Police and insulting National Emblem during a rally in Taldangra. According to the TMC, Majumdar suggested that police acting in favour of Trinamool replace the Ashoka Stambh on their uniforms with a sandal symbol. The TMC described these comments as misleading and offensive, likely to erode public trust in law enforcement.
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"It has come to our notice that on 07.11.2024, Sukanta Majumdar, the BJP State President in West Bengal, made a derogatory speech at an election rally in Taldangra, insulting the State Emblem and the police by suggesting they should replace the emblem with icons resembling footwear," the letter read.
The TMC's letter further quoted Majumdar's alleged remarks, "Don't act as an agent for TMC in police uniform. If you do, replace the Ashoka Stambh with a sandal symbol."
The letter, signed by TMC leaders Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Derek O'Brien, Kirti Azad, Sushmita Dev, and Saket Gokhale, asserted that these statements not only malign the State Police but also "constitute a grave insult to the sanctity of the Ashoka Stambh."
The TMC also raised concerns about the statements' potential to influence voters, alleging they may be considered a "corrupt practice under the Representation of the People Act, 1951," and urged the ECI to issue a directive for an "unconditional apology" from Majumdar.
In a second letter, the TMC voiced concerns over the deployment of central armed police forces (CAPF) in West Bengal during the election period.
The second letter read, "We are writing to bring to your attention a matter of urgent concern regarding the deployment of central forces during the forthcoming by-elections in six Assembly Constituencies of West Bengal. It is worth mentioning that synergy between State and Central Forces is of paramount importance in ensuring secure and impartial elections, as both play complementary roles in maintaining law and order during elections"
The party referenced the ECI's "Manual on Force Deployment in Elections 2023", which mandates that CAPF personnel be accompanied by local police for effective coordination.
TMC quoting Sub-section C of Section 8.5 of the ECI's manual added, "Every CAPF team should be provided with a representative of the local Police from the time of their induction till the completion of the electoral process so that they could do their duty well because of their knowledge of terrain and local language."
The TMC also in their letter alleged that CAPF officers were operating independently of state police, engaging in activities that could intimidate voters and favour the BJP, potentially compromising the impartiality of the election process.
The TMC has requested clarification from the ECI on the following points: the current ratio of CAPF to local police personnel, the specific responsibilities of each force, and the legal ramifications of any deviations from the guidelines.
Bypolls for West Bengal's six assembly seats will take place on November 13 with results to be declared on November 23.
—ANI