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Cops in plain clothes harassing people at TMC’s behest: BJP tells EC

The EC has had its hands full ahead of the Bengal elections as it responds to complaints and grievances raised by the TMC as well as the BJP.

Published on: Mar 10, 2021, 20:56:08 IST
By , Hindustan Times, New Delhi
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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday said that plain-clothed police personnel are threatening voters at the behest of the Trinamool Congress and wrote to the West Bengal chief electoral officer seeking action in the matter.

EC has expressed concern regarding the state of law and order in West Bengal ahead of the state's legislative elections. (HT Archive)
EC has expressed concern regarding the state of law and order in West Bengal ahead of the state's legislative elections. (HT Archive)

The BJP also raised an issue over the chief minister being accompanied by ‘scores of police personnel on her route to the Office of Returning Officer’ on Wednesday. The party was referring to the Bengal chief minister filing her nomination at the Haldia sub-divisional office. The Trinamool Congress supremo also held a 2-hour long roadshow before filing her nomination.

The EC has had its hands full ahead of the Bengal elections as it responds to complaints and grievances raised by the TMC as well as the BJP. Earlier this month, after complaints were raised against PM Modi’s picture being used in Centre’s schemes and hoardings as well as Covid-19 vaccination certificates, the agency ordered the removal of such hoardings and advertisements on various central schemes having pictures of the Prime Minister in the state.

The Trinamool Congress also had demanded that the agency remove deputy election commissioner Sudeep Jain as in-charge of West Bengal polls. The TMC had alleged that Jain was being biased against the party and broke the norms of the federal structure. “During the last parliamentary poll, Sudeep Jain had taken several steps which were not only against the norms of the Election Commission but also against those of the federal structure. We don't have any faith in him. We (TMC) apprehend that this time too he will take steps which will either directly or indirectly help the BJP,” TMC spokesperson Sougata Roy was quoted as saying by news agency PTI on Friday.

In a separate set of events, the Bengal CM suffered minor injuries after being allegedly pushed by unknown people while campaigning in Nandigram. She has been brought to Kolkata after the incident triggered a security scare.