EC bonded labour of BJP, won’t allow any action against State govt. officers: Mamata

A day after the Election Commission suspended four officials of the West Bengal State Electoral Office, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee came down heavily on the poll body, saying she would not allow any State government official to be punished.

“Our officers have been sent notice that they have been suspended… Has the election been already declared? Under which law have you [the EC] sent notice and threatened to suspend [them] and said that an FIR should be registered? This will not happen. I won’t allow punishment for the officers,” Ms. Banerjee said, addressing a gathering in Jhargram.

On Tuesday (August 5), the EC sent a letter informing the State Chief Secretary about the suspension of four government officials for irregularities in the registration of names in the voter list. The EC had also directed that an FIR be lodged against the four government officials, who are posted in the South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore districts, and a data entry operator in connection with the irregularities. Two of the officials are Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and the remaining two are Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs).

The action was taken following a report by the State’s Chief Electoral Officer alleging wrongful additions to the State’s electoral rolls by EROs and AEROs.

The Trinamool Congress chairperson also accused the poll body of being the “bonded labour of the BJP”. She also targeted Union Home Minister Amit Shah and said “he thinks whatever he says will happen”. “The EC is a puppet in the hands of Amit Shah. It will dance in whichever direction he wants it to dance,” she said.

The Chief Minister also added that the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) of the voter list was started for the purpose of implementing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) through the back door.

Reacting to the Chief Minister’s remark on the EC, State BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya said the people of the State should see that the Chief Minister had scant respect for a Constitutional body such as the EC. Mr. Bhattacharya said instead of giving speeches, the Chief Minister should challenge the authority of the EC before the Supreme Court.