New Delhi: The Election Commission will not be reinstating West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s security chief as a new officer has already been appointed on the advice of the state government, the poll panel has said.
In a letter sent to the chief minister Tuesday, the poll body also hit back at Mamata saying her claims of “alleged proximity to any political entity” were attempts to “belittle the institution of Commission with repeated innuendos”.
According to sources, in a meeting held Tuesday, the Commission had drafted the letter in response to a letter written by Mamata who sought the suspension of the poll panel’s order to suspend her security chief Vivek Sahay for lapses during the Nandigram incident that left her injured.
“The West Bengal Chief Secretary has already informed us that a new officer has been appointed for this post, and this officer has been picked by the West Bengal government itself … So, there is no question of anyone being reinstated,” an official told ThePrint on the condition of anonymity.
“Moreover, the ECI had taken the decision to remove Sahay on the basis of the reports of the Special Observer and Chief Secretary, West Bengal, and it was a very well-considered decision,” the official added.
ThePrint Tuesday reported that Mamata had sent a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora hours after the suspension order was issued, stating that the director of security was not responsible for what happened and that she had approved the arrangements made. Mamata had sought Arora’s personal intervention in the matter.
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‘Attempt to belittle institution of EC’
The EC’s letter, which ThePrint accessed, states: “It is a reasonable presumption that Chief Secretary, in consultation with DGP West Bengal, has posted Shri Gyanwant Singh, IPS as Director Security. Chief Secretary would have consulted you, got approval on file, being Hon’ble Chief Minister and Home Minister, before issuing the orders of posting of Shri Gyanwant Singh.”
In response to CM Mamata asking the poll panel to hear grievances of all political parties and not be guided by any one particular party, the EC listed four occasions on which it had met representatives of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).
“If it is stated by the Hon’ble CM that the Commission should meet political parties, it is only an attempt to belittle the institution of Commission with repeated innuendos and averments.”
“Commission maintains the position that they would not like to keep on being put on the dock for alleged proximity to any political entity,” the letter adds. “However, if Hon’ble CM persists in creating and attempting to perpetuate this myth for reasons best known to her, it is singularly unfortunate, and it is only for Hon’ble CM to adjudge as to why she is doing so.”
The poll body further quoted from the Special Observer’s report submitted to it, which recommended “stringent action against Shri Vivek Sahai IPS Director Security who is ultimately responsible for the VVIP security”.
Mamata claimed EC actions create ‘vacuum’
In her letter, CM Mamata had pointed out that the poll body’s recent changes — including replacing the additional director general of police (law and order) and director general of police — would severely affect her security at this critical juncture and “create a vacuum”.
She had also appealed to the CEC to “hear the grievances of all political parties and not be guided by any particular dispensation”.
Mamata had sustained injuries to her left foot following a ruckus that broke out after she filed her nomination papers at Nandigram on 10 March. The TMC had alleged that a “deep-rooted conspiracy” was hatched to attack the chief minister.
Following the events of 10 March, the EC had asked the state’s chief secretary and the two election observers to submit a report on the matter, based on which it concluded there had been a security lapse.
In a stinging reply to the TMC, the EC clarified that the poll panel does not take over day-to-day law and order machinery after polls are announced, and said these “insinuations and averments” are unfortunate.
“It looks undignified even to respond to allegations of all this being done at the behest of a particular party,” the ECI had said.
(This report has been updated with more details of the Election Commission’s letter to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.)
(Edited by Manasa Mohan)
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