The Election Commission on Thursday removed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s security officer with immediate effect ahead of the fourth phase of the Assembly elections in the state, reported ANI.
An election official said the security officer, Ashok Chakrabarty, was believed to have been removed because of “security lapses” that led to Banerjee sustaining a leg injury in an alleged attack in Nandigram in Purba Medinipur on March 10, according to PTI. Chakrabarty was posted as an officer on special duty in an ex-cadre post in the rank of a superintendent of police.
On March 14, the poll panel had suspended Banerjee’s Director Security Vivek Sahay and Purba Medinipur Superintendent of Police Praween Prakash following the alleged attack on the chief minister.
In its order, the Election Commission also attached Counter Insurgency Force Superintendent of Police Ajeet Singh Yadav to the Howrah Police Commissionerate. This was done “in view of the sensitivity” of the Assembly election in Howrah district on Saturday. Yadav will be released after the completion of his duty, the order said.
The Election Commission has ordered a flurry of transfers of senior government officials in West Bengal over the last few weeks. Earlier in the week, the poll panel transferred returning officers of eight constituencies in Kolkata. These eight seats will go to polls in the last two phases of the state elections on April 26 and 29.
On March 31, the Election Commission ordered the transfer of three officials, including the returning officer of Ballygunge Assembly constituency in Kolkata. The two others transferred are Sub Divisional Police Officer of Haldia Barun Baidya and Bichitra Bikas Roy, the circle inspector of Mahishadal in East Medinipur district.
On March 26, the panel had transferred five officials in the state before the first phase of elections. On March 20, the commission asked the West Bengal government to refrain from selecting “politically affiliated” figures as heads of civic bodies on an appointment basis after the end of their elected term.
The chief minister had alleged that the transfers were being made at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party. “The way BJP is interfering in the functioning of EC, it appears to be a BJP commission,” Banerjee had said at a public meeting at Danton district of the state on March 26.
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