Kolkata: The Election Commission has suspended three central force personnel who were found playing carrom inside a Trinamool Congress party office at Suri in Birbhum district. The Commission will not assign election-related duties to these three jawans.
A video of three central force jawans playing carrom inside a TMC party office had gone viral in social media. The jawans were in uniform and were accompanied by TMC party workers.
The viral video showed several individuals gathered around a carrom board. A central forces jawan, dressed in uniform, was seen sitting near the board, while two others were seen standing with a group of five local youths. One of the personnel was found participating in the game.
With the Model Code of Conduct in force following the announcement of the elections in Bengal, questions were raised about how central force jawans deployed for election duty entered a political party office and engaged in such activities. The BJP strongly objected to the incident and brought it to the notice of the Election Commission.
Sources in the poll body said that the matter was investigated after receiving the complaint and after verification of the video’s authenticity, the three personnel involved were identified and subsequently suspended.
Polling for all 294 assembly constituencies in West Bengal will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with results scheduled to be declared on May 4. A few days back, the Election Commission came down heavily on seven jawans posted in Murshidabad for allegedly attending an Iftar party hosted by a Trinamool Congress leader and transferred them out of the state.