TMC accuses BJP of ‘flagrant poll violations’, seeks action from ECI
Kolkata: A delegation of five Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs on Saturday registered two complaints with the Election Commission of India (ECI) in Delhi alleging “flagrant poll violations” in Bengal by the state BJP ahead of the upcoming by-elections in six seats.
The TMC MPs alleged that the BJP in collusion with the Central Forces were trying to influence voters and also defamed state police. The delegation consisting of Sudip Bandopadhyay, Derek O’Brien, Kirti Azad, Sushmita Dev and Saket Gokhale urged the ECI to carry out an urgent inquiry into the deployment of Central Forces in Bengal. Citing sub-section of Section 8.5 of the ECI manual on Force Deployment in Elections 2023, the delegation in one of its letters highlighted that the synergy between the state and Central Force was of paramount importance in ensuring an impartial election as both the forces play complementary roles in maintaining law and order during elections.
The delegation has also stated that the provision of the ECI underscores the importance of balanced force deployment and coordination between the CAPF personnel and local police to carry out free and fair elections.
TMC leaders alleged that CAPF personnel were indulging in various “illegal activities” at the behest of the BJP leaders. The Central Forces were entering the houses of the voters to intimidate them, TMC alleged.
The delegation also wanted to know from the ECI the current ratio of CAPF and state police deployment for the bypolls in Bengal.
It also asked what specific duties have been assigned to the CAPF and state police personnel during the electoral process.
In the second letter to the ECI, the TMC lodged a complaint accusing the BJP leader Sukanta Majumdar of insulting the country’s emblem and also spreading defamatory allegations against West Bengal Police during a campaign in poll-bound Taldangra Assembly Constituency recently.
In the letter, the TMC leaders mentioned: “Majumdar has also insulted the state emblem of India and the State Police by stating that police personnel should replace the emblem on their uniforms with icons resembling footwear.” The delegation also quoted what Majumdar during his campaign had allegedly said regarding state police in Bengali the translation of which would be “Don’t act as an agent of TMC. Remove the Ashoka Stambha on your uniform and replace it with the symbol of a sandal. Don’t hide behind the uniform.”
The TMC delegation urged the ECI to issue directives to the BJP and its leaders to desist from making any future statements during the ensuing elections which insult the country’s emblem and the state police.
