CEO goes to Delhi EC over Bharati Ghosh's 'derogatory' comments

Kolkata: The office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has sent a report to the Election Commission of India (ECI) in Delhi regarding the derogatory remarks of former IPS officer Bharati Ghosh who is contesting in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections from Ghatal with a BJP ticket.

The CEO office is awaiting instructions from the ECI. Senior election officials in the state have found her statements to be derogatory. They have submitted their observations after examining the video footages of her statements. The ECI will take the final call if any stringent action will be taken against Ghosh.

Trinamool Congress leaders from the state moved to the Election Commission registering a complaint against Ghosh who had courted controversy as she was caught on television camera threatening TMC supporters. The TMC leaders also alleged that Ghosh was trying to intimidate voters ahead of the elections. Ghatal will go to poll on May 12 in the sixth phase of the elections. She allegedly threatened some people in Ghatal by saying that she would drag them out of their houses and would thrash them like dogs if they try to intimidate voters.

Ghosh also threatened them by saying that she would bring 1,000 boys from Uttar Pradesh to beat up the TMC workers if they dare to intimidate voters. Her statements triggered a political slugfest between Trinamool Congress and BJP. Some BJP leaders in the state including state president Dilip Ghosh backed her and justified her obnoxious statements. She made those statements while taking part in an election rally at Anandapur village of Ghatal on May 3. She, however, claimed that a few people complained to her that some Trinamool Congress supporters were threatening them to cast their votes in favour of TMC. This had prompted the former IPS officer to make such irresponsible remarks.