Top West Bengal officials removed by EC ahead of elections, TMC protests
text_fields
New Delhi: A day after announcing the schedule for the West Bengal Assembly elections, the Election Commission (EC) on Monday removed the state’s Director General of Police (DGP) and the Kolkata Police Commissioner, PTI reported.
The poll panel appointed Indian Police Service officer Siddh Nath Gupta as the new DGP, replacing Peeyush Pandey, an official told the news agency. Ajay Kumar Nand has been appointed as the new Kolkata Police Commissioner, replacing Supratim Sarkar, the official added.
In addition, Natarajan Ramesh Babu was named Director General of Correctional Services, while Ajay Mukund Ranade was appointed Additional Director General (Law and Order), according to the Hindustan Times.
Earlier, the EC had also removed Nandini Chakraborty from the post of Chief Secretary, appointing Dushyant Nariala in her place, The Indian Express reported. Home Secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena was replaced by Sanghamitra Ghosh.
The EC has directed that all orders be implemented immediately, with the state government required to submit a compliance report by 3 pm on Monday. The poll panel further instructed that those transferred should not be posted in any election-related assignment until the completion of the polls.
The West Bengal Assembly elections are scheduled in two phases—April 23 and April 29, with results to be announced on May 4.
Reacting to the EC’s decision, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs walked out of the Rajya Sabha in protest on Monday. Raising the issue ahead of the Zero Hour, TMC MP Derek O’Brien said, “In the dead of night, the chief secretary, the principal secretary, and the home secretary have been removed by the Election Commission.”
O’Brien added that the poll panel has full authority to take such actions. “They can also say that I am wearing a blue shirt and not a white shirt,” he said. He further stated, “In protest against what the Chief Election Commissioner is doing, the Trinamool Congress is walking out for the day.”
