Ahead of the forthcoming Assembly by-elections, the Trinamul 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 the complaint against Mr Majumdar, the party 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.

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The delegation comprised leader of TMC parliamentary party in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Leader of TMC parliamentary party in Rajya Sabha Derek O’Brien, MP Kirti Azad and Rajya Sabha MPs Sushmita Dev and Saket Gokhale.

In its complaint, the TMC wrote, “It has come to our notice that on 7 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 Trinamul. 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.

Elaborating on the issue, Bandyopadhyay explained that, according to ECI rules, state police should accompany central forces during elections to address language barriers in a state. However, in Bengal, the BJP was “openly misusing the central forces” to influence voters against the TMC. “The fact that the central forces and the state police should work in tandem is not being followed to a great extent. We want the ECI to take strong action against this,” he added.

In a letter to the ECI on the matter, the party stated: “…It has been brought to our notice that CAPF personnel alone, without presence of the State Police, are engaging in various illegal activities at the behest of their political masters (BJP). They are entering private residences to intimidate voters and adversely influence them to cast their votes in favour of the BJP. Such partisan behaviour is illegally skewing the impartiality and sanctity of the ensuing elections.”

Talking to reporters outside the poll panel’s office, TMC leader 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.”