Police Officers Suspended
In a significant development concerning the integrity of the electoral process, the Election Commission (EC) has initiated disciplinary proceedings and
suspended four prominent police officials from Kolkata. This stern measure was a direct response to the unruly events that transpired during a roadshow spearheaded by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The incident, which occurred on April 2nd in the Bhowanipore area, created a tense atmosphere, prompting the EC's swift intervention. Specifically, the suspended officers include Siddartha Dutta, the Deputy Commissioner of Police for the South Division; Priyankar Chakraborty, the Officer-in-Charge of Alipore police station; Chandi Charan Banerjee, the additional OC of Alipore; and Saurabh Chatterjee, a sergeant also attached to Alipore police station. These suspensions were recommended by the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal, Manoj Agarwal, and subsequently approved by the Commission. The EC's directive mandates that these officers be suspended immediately and subjected to formal disciplinary proceedings, underscoring the seriousness with which election-related disturbances are being treated.
Roadshow Tension Erupts
The disruption unfolded on April 2nd during a roadshow organized for the nomination filing of Suvendu Adhikari from the Bhowanipore constituency, an event that also saw the participation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The situation escalated near Kalighat, in close proximity to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's residence, where a substantial gathering of Trinamool Congress workers congregated and began raising counter-slogans. Police personnel intervened to prevent a direct confrontation between the opposing groups, establishing human barricades to maintain separation. The ensuing fracas led the Election Commission to file a First Information Report (FIR) at the Alipore police station. The FIR cited violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), noting that while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had secured permission for its rally, the Trinamool Congress had not. Ironically, the suspended Alipore OC, Priyankar Chakraborty, had only recently been appointed to that post by the EC on March 29th, a part of broader changes affecting 31 Kolkata Police OCs, including the one for Bhowanipore.
Broader EC Actions
This recent suspension of four police officers is part of a larger pattern of disciplinary actions taken by the Election Commission in West Bengal during the ongoing election campaign. In the two weeks following the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct, the poll panel has suspended a total of 17 officials. This figure includes five police officers, two Block Development Officers (BDOs), and ten personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). Earlier instances of suspensions involved officials such as Avijit Paul, the inspector-in-charge of Basanti police station, for failing to prevent poll violence; Sayantan Bhattacharyya, a BDO from Hanskhali, in connection with violence during poll training; and a joint BDO from Khandogosh for alleged political canvassing. Furthermore, ten central force personnel faced suspension: three in Suri for engaging in recreational activities within a Trinamool party office and seven for attending a social gathering at the residence of a Trinamool functionary in Murshidabad. These comprehensive actions demonstrate the EC's vigilance in ensuring compliance with electoral rules across various levels of administration and security personnel.
Cross-Party Complaints
The political landscape in West Bengal has seen both major parties, the BJP and the Trinamool Congress, lodging complaints with the Election Commission concerning alleged irregularities and biased conduct by election officials. The BJP has twice formally approached the EC seeking the transfer of DCP Shantanu Sinha Biswas. They have also called for the removal of two other officers, Bijitaswa Routh and Rahul Amin Ali Shah, accusing them of actively campaigning for the Trinamool Congress during a state conference of the West Bengal Police Welfare Committee. Conversely, the Trinamool Congress has also lodged multiple complaints, twice urging the poll panel to transfer Surajit Roy, the election returning officer for Bhowanipore. The party contends that Roy maintains a close association with Suvendu Adhikari, having previously served as the BDO of Nandigram-II. The Trinamool has described Roy's appointment as 'out of turn' and inconsistent with his seniority, highlighting that although the EC requested a panel of three names for his replacement and the state government promptly complied, Roy continues to hold the position of returning officer for Bhowanipore. These reciprocal complaints underscore the heightened political tensions and the scrutiny faced by election officials.
