‘BJP's reflection’: Trinamool Congress on EC removing West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar
The Election Commission on Monday ordered the removal of West Bengal director general of police Rajeev Kumar.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Kunal Ghosh on Monday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the removal of West Bengal director general of police Rajeev Kumar by the Election Commission, saying that the move is a “reflection” of the ruling party.
“We have seen that the BJP is trying its best to grab different organisations including ECI…They have taken over the control of central agencies and different organisations. In this case also, after the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections…what we saw today, is the reflection of BJP,” the TMC leader told news agency PTI.
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He added, “They know that in the Lok Sabha election, BJP will be defeated in most of the seats in West Bengal…Their organisation is very poor, very weak…We are confident that BJP may transfer a few officers but the public is with Trinamool Congress and didi (Mamata Banerjee). TMC will defeat BJP again.”
The Election Commission on Monday ordered the removal of Kumar, as a part of the commission's efforts to maintain a level playing field and ensure the integrity of the electoral process. The poll panel has asked the chief secretary of the state to provide a list of three eligible officers for Kumar's replacement by 5 pm today.
Kumar, who was appointed as the DGP in December 2023 after the retirement of Manoj Malaviya, is known to be close to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. In 2019, the CM held a two-day dharna after the CBI accused Kumar of allegedly suppressing and destroying evidence in the investigation of the Saradha scam and searched his premises.
The Election Commission also ordered the removal of home secretaries of six states - Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, as well as the removal of Brihanmumbai municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, along with additional commissioners and deputy commissioners. The poll panel also ordered the removal of secretaries of the general administrative departments in Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh.