Ahead of the forthcoming Assembly bye-elections in West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Saturday filed a complaint with Election Commission of India (ECI) against Union Minister and state BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar over his alleged derogatory remark against state police.

Besides complaint against him, the TMC also filed a separate complaint to the poll panel alleging the Central forces of engaging in illegal activities at the behest of West Bengal BJP leaders. A delegation of the TMC comprising Derek O’Brien and Sushmita Dev submitted both the complaints to the ECI at its headquarters here.

In its complaint, the party wrote, “It has come to our notice that on 7th November, Sukanta Majumdar who is the BJP state president in West Bengal, delivered a false, derogatory and defamatory speech during an election rally in poll- bound Taldangra. He 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.”

“Don’t act as an agent of Trinamool. Remove the Ashoka stambh on your uniform and replace it with the symbol of a sandal. Don’t hide behind the uniform,” the party quoted Majumdar as saying. The TMC said these alleged remarks, devoid of any factual basis, are clearly aimed at undermining the credibility of the state police, who are discharging their duties with utmost dedication to maintain law and order during the elections.

Talking to reporters later outside the poll panel’s office, Sushmita Dev said, “We have lodged two complaints with the ECI. It is the ECI’s deployment rules of 2003 that categorically states that where central deployment is made, in that case they have to have a representative of the state police with them. But, what we have seen unfolding in the Bengal bye-election is that it is the Central forces that are working in coordination with the Bengal BJP leaders, not the state police.”

In an apparent reference to Majumdar, she said, “These kinds of derogatory remarks call for serious actions from the ECI. We strongly condemn his statement.” She said that on both these issues, given the campaign ends on Monday, we expect immediate action so that there is a free and fair bye-election in the state of Bengal.