BJP workers up in arms over newly anointed president of its South 24- Parganas unit

Some BJP workers and supporters have written to the party’s all India president Amit Shah against the newly appointed president of South 24-Parganas (west) Avijit Das alleging that he didn’t disclose a criminal case pending against him to the election commission while contesting the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. 

Das, who is well known as Bobby, had contested as BJP candidate in the elections from Diamond Harbour parliamentary constituency and as per the rules and regulations it is mandatory for a candidate to disclose any criminal cases pending against him or her. 

It may be mentioned that a complaint was lodged against Das on May 17, 2012 with Bishnupur police station in South 24-Parganas alleging that he had sexually assaulted a woman (FIR number 386/12). It has been alleged that he had not disclosed the case against him while filing nomination in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, though he had mentioned about two other cases including case number 175 (3) and 113 (2) both of 2012 with Bishnupur Police Station before the election commission. 

In the letter to the all India president, the BJP workers alleged that “he (Das) has cleverly or intentionally did not mention the above referred case of sexual assault against him”.

Interestingly, the complainant had given an affidavit before the notary public on April 2014 at Alipore stating that “I further declare that due to misunderstanding and on the instigation of others, I lodged the said written complaint and now I have realised that the said case has been filed mistakenly and…I do not want to proceed with the said case further and I have no objection with regard to the said case”.  

The police, however, had filed a chargesheet in this connection on Feburary 13, 2015. The police had mentioned in the chargesheet that there was an incident of sexual harassment (section 354 of the Indian penal Code (IPC)) and criminal intimidation (section 506 of the IPC). 

The BJP workers also raised certain questions in the letter to Shah. The first question was “if the case was dismissed in 2014 based on the affidavit given by the complainant then how the police have filed chargesheet in 2015?” and they also raised questions on “the parametres of selecting a president of a district”. 

Kartick Ghosh, a member of the state committee of the party, said he was told by some BJP supporters from the district that such a letter was sent to Shah. “But it is a matter in which only the higher authorities to take a decision.”

When contacted, Das said: “It has been framed against me. Abhishek Banerjee was Trinamul Congress candidate from Diamond Harbour. Trinamul Congress is a rulling party at present. Do police would not have taken any action against me ahead of the elections if the allegations were true?”