Kolkata: Trinamool Congress on Thursday slammed the Election Commission for failing to provide security to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was injured during election campaign in Nandigram, and said the EC cant shun responsibility as it is in charge of law and order situation in the poll-bound West Bengal.
Accusing the EC of acting “as per orders” of the BJP leaders, the TMC delegation after meeting the EC officials here, alleged that the “Election Commission did nothing despite there being reports of a possible attack on Banerjee”.
“The law and order situation in Bengal was good. But, after announcement of elections law and order become responsibility of the EC.
“The EC removed DGP of the state police and the very next day she was attacked,” TMC secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said.
Claiming that several comments by senior BJP leaders had dropped enough indications that Banerjee might be attacked, Chatterjee said “despite having those inputs the chief minister was left with no proper security”.
“Who will take responsibility for attack on Mamata Banerjee, when EC is in charge of administration? EC has to take responsibility for the incident.
“They are acting as per orders of the BJP leaders. The BJP is asking the EC to remove an official and they are removing him,” he said.
The three-member TMC delegation, led by state minister Partha Chatterjee met EC officials and registered a complaint into the incident and demanded a thorough probe.
Chatterjee was accompanied by TMC leader in Rajya Sabha Derek O’Brien and state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya.
“You have to understand the chronology. You remove the DGP, leave a woman chief minister’s security less and then attack her. If you go through social media post by the BJP leaders there have been indications that she would be attacked,” O’Brien said.
Banerjee is at present undergoing treatment at the SSKM hospital in Kolkata with injury to her left leg, waist, shoulder and neck, according to doctors.
The TMC supremo alleged on Wednesday evening that during her campaign in Nandigram, she was attacked by four-five men who pushed her, besides banging on her the door of her car, leading to the injuries.
The TMC also on Thursday postponed the release of its manifesto for the upcoming elections in West Bengal, following the alleged attack on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, party leaders said.
Banerjee, the party’s chairperson, was scheduled to release the manifesto in the afternoon at her residence in Kalighat.
“The manifesto release has been postponed for the time being. It will be released after Mamata Banerjee gets well and is back home. Although our manifesto is ready, there is no question of releasing it without her,” a senior TMC leader said.
The chief minister is at present undergoing treatment at the SSKM Hospital in Kolkata with injury to her left leg, waist, shoulder and neck, according to doctors.
Banerjee had released the party’s list of 291 candidates on March 5.
West Bengal will be voting in eight phases, beginning March 27. The votes will be counted on May 2.
Also read: Mamata ‘stable’ after alleged attack in Nandigram, doctors to conduct series of tests