TMC calls for ouster of Nayak over alleged political bias
Kolkata: Trinamool Congress has written to the Chief Election Commissioner, Election Commission of India (ECI), urging him to recall or cancel the appointment of Ajay V Nayak as Special Observer in Bengal in the remaining phases of the Lok Sabha elections.
The letter from TMC, undersigned by the party general secretary Subrata Bakshi, alleges that Nayak has political and organisational allegiance to the RSS and BJP leaders.
The letter from the ruling party in Bengal comes in the wake of a statement by Nayak on Saturday that the present
situation in Bengal is like what it used to be in Bihar 10-15 years ago and that 'everything is not well with democracy in Bengal'.
"It is the duty of all observers to exhibit political neutrality through their conduct and behavior. The entire incident raises reasonable apprehension about Nayak's political allegiance and whether he would be competent to perform his duties as a Central Observer in an unbiased and fair manner," the letter states.
It highlights the fact that barely two days after the end of the second phase polling in Bengal, Nayak had himself remarked that barring a few stray incidents polling was very high and peaceful in the state. The Election Commission had also declared after the first phase that voting was largely peaceful in the state.
"It is not understood what happened within less than 48 hours that made him (Nayak) make a remark about Bengal and bring it as a justification for deployment of Central Forces in nearly 92 percent of the polling booths in the third phase of election in the state. In the backdrop of the Commission's own observations, the comments by Nayak appear to be highly misplaced and we have reasons to believe that he has started acting in a partisan manner with pre-conceived notions, to destabilise the conduct of elections in the state in a free and fair manner by creating a fear psychosis among the electorate," the letter reiterates.
The letter further appeals to the ECI not to allow Nayak to act as a political mouthpiece when he is duty bound to act in a neutral manner.
"He should not make statements to benefit any political party, particularly when such statements are not in conformity with the statements and actions of the ECI," the letter states.
