The Election Commission of India on Thursday slammed the Trinamool Congress (TMC) over linking ‘attack’ on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram with the removal of DGP from the CM’s security cover.
It said that the TMC letter was “full of insinuations and aversions” which questions the “very basis of creation and functioning of Election Commission”.
The poll body added, “It is completely incorrect to suggest that the Commission has taken over the law and order machinery in the state in the name of conducting elections and appropriated the whole governance structure, etc.”
The EC further said, “It looks undignified even to respond to the allegations of all this being done on the behest of a particular political party, etc”.
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It also defended its decision to remove West Bengal Director General of Police Virendra saying that he was not removed summarily and without any application of mind but on the recommendation of special observers.
“It was the outcome of the recommendation given by Special Observers Ajay Nayak and Vivek Dube. In fact, yesterday also when the Commission became aware of the unfortunate incident from the electronic media, report was immediately sought from the Chief Secretary, West Bengal and from both the Special Observers, at present in West Bengal, within 48 hours…. Till such time the reports are available to the Commission it will not be possible to draw any empirical conclusion let alone start linking it to the removal of earlier DGP Virendra,” it said
Terming the incident in which Banerjee was injured “unfortunate”, the commission also said it “deserves to be inquired into with promptitude and dispatch”.