Election Commission is working on the BJP’s instructions: Mamata
West Bengal CM opposes the transfer of the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Murshidabad range, by the EC; she also expresses apprehensions over communal tensions on Ram Navami
The Election Commission (EC) on Monday ordered the removal of the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) of Murshidabad range in West Bengal over violence in the district and the officer’s alleged “lack of supervision” to immediately prevent more incidents, prompting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to accuse the poll body of working on the instructions of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Objecting to IPS officer Mukesh’s transfer, she said that the EC would be responsible if there was one more riot in the State. “Now, if there are riots in Murshidabad and Malda, the responsibility will lie with the EC as they are looking after the law and order here,” the Trinamool Congress chairperson said, addressing a gathering in Cooch Behar district.
Ms. Banerjee also threatened to go on strike. “If I can fast for farmers for 26 days [a reference to the Singur agitation], I can go on a hunger strike for 55 days outside your [EC] office as well,” she said.
However, State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who is contesting from the Murshidabad seat against former India cricketer Yusuf Pathan of Trinamool Congress and BJP’s Gouri Shankar Ghosh, welcomed the development and alleged that the police officer was trying to foment communal tensions in the region.
The Chief Minister also expressed apprehensions over communal tensions during Ram Navami celebrations on April 17.
She urged people of the minority communities to keep calm if provocation slogans were raised during Ram Navami. There have been incidents of communal violence on Ram Navami in the past in West
Bengal.
Later in the day, addressing a rally in Alipurduar, Ms. Banerjee said all honest, hardworking, upright IPS and IAS officers were being shunted by the EC as prodded by BJP and all tainted, partisan officers brought at the helm to foment disturbances for electoral gains and keep the honest officers inactive.
HC permission
Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court on Monday granted permission to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to hold a procession on the occasion of Ram Navami in Howrah city, while imposing certain conditions to ensure the event proceeded without tension.
While granting permission, Justice Jay Sengupta directed that no provocative slogans were to be chanted and that the procession had to proceed without stopping en route.