The Election Commission of India (ECI) has removed seven Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel from election duty in West Bengal for allegedly attending an iftar gathering in Murshidabad district in violation of guidelines for deployment during polls, officials from ECI and state poll panel said on Wednesday.
The alleged incident occurred around a week ago in Samserganj, a constituency flagged as sensitive ahead of the two-phase assembly elections next month. CAPF were deployed in the state on March 1 and 10.
Two of the personnel have been placed under the custody of the central forces, while the remaining five have been transferred out of the state, officials said.
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“Forces deployed on election duty are required to maintain strict operational neutrality. Any form of engagement — including accepting invitations or hospitality — creates both real and perceived bias, which is unacceptable in an active election environment,” a senior ECI official said, adding that clear instructions were issued to all units prior to deployment.
The iftar party was reportedly hosted by a local panchayat the husband of a local panchayat pradhan, and photographs of the gathering went viral on social media, drawing the attention of the poll panel.
{{/usCountry}}The iftar party was reportedly hosted by a local panchayat the husband of a local panchayat pradhan, and photographs of the gathering went viral on social media, drawing the attention of the poll panel.
{{/usCountry}}However, the personnel concerned denied the allegations, claiming that the iftar was organised within a BSF camp and that local representatives had been invited there, news agency PTI reported.
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The action was taken based on the report of a departmental inquiry launched after the incident came to the notice of poll panel, the senior official cited above said.
Samserganj is among constituencies identified by the poll panel for enhanced security deployment and tighter oversight. “Even informal participation in local or religious gatherings is treated as a violation if it involves interaction with local stakeholders during deployment,” a senior state poll panel official said.