Hours after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged bias by the Election Commission and threatened a protest against its officials, the Commission late Tuesday evening came down heavily on the Trinamool Congress and the Chief Minister.

In a strongly-worded letter, the EC maintains such “repeated innuendos and averments” are “only an attempt to belittle the institution”.

The letter adds, “attempting to perpetuate this myth” - of alleged proximity to a political party - is “singularly unfortunate”.

“...if CM persists in creating and attempting to perpetuate this myth for reasons best known to her, it is singularly unfortunate...” the letter reads.

Banerjee had, in a public rally in Bankura yesterday, claimed there were “attempts on her life” and interference in the running of the Election Commission by “Amit Shah babu”.

Moreover, she took strong exception to the transfer of her Director Security and suspension of other senior district officials including the superintendent of police of East Midnapore, post the Nandigram fiasco.

EC directs action against officials for Nandigram incident involving Mamata Banerjee

Banerjee, it may be recalled, had hurt her leg in the incident. She has, however, continued her campaigning on a wheelchair.

‘Security lapses led to Nandigram incident’

The letter by Sudeep Jain, the Deputy Election Commissioner, has reiterated the Election Commission’s stand that as per a report by the Chief Secretary on March 13, the overall synergy required to be established between the directorate of security and local police for the visit of the Chief Minister “was not there”.

The Chief Minister, incidentally, is a Z plus protectee.

Jain also quotes the Special Observers who in their report point out to several security lapses during the Nandigram incident.

The report by the observers says the Chief Minister was standing with the “car door open greeting people as the convoy was in motion” and there were people “surrounding the CM and jostling around”.

Questions have also been raised as to why the security personnel travelling in interception vehicles around the CM’s car did not jump out and “surround the VVIP vehicle” to keep away these “alleged miscreants”. Banerjee, immediately after the incident, alleged a “conspiracy” and that “there were four to five people who slammed the car door against her legs”.

Then other lapse, which the letter mentions, was the CM’s driver not stopping the car once its doors were opened. Finally, the lead security mobile was “kept behind the VVIP vehicle”. “In fact it should have been kept in front because it is supposed to know locations of safe houses in medical centres, where the VVIP could have been taken after the incident,” it says.

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‘Lack of coordination’

The Election Commission also quotes a special observer’s report where the SP East Midnapore and DM have said they took to “floating security arrangements” because of frequent changes in the programmes of the CM and it was apparent that there was a “lack of coordination” between district police personnel and the police headquarters.

Further coming down on Banerjee and her party, the Election Commission has also made public a part of the special observer’s report where he is critical of the “flippant attitude” of the then Director Security (who has now been suspended).

Based on several of these lapses and following a report by the Chief Secretary, suspension of the Director Security and the then SP of East Midnapore was ordered while the DM and DEO of East Midnapore were transferred.

Interestingly, the Election Commission has said that posting of the new Director Security, Gyanwant Singh, was done by the Chief Secretary “presumably” after consulting the CM or after having got her approval.

Published on March 17, 2021