Kolkata, April 4 The Election Commission on Saturday directed the suspension of four Kolkata Police officials and the initiation of disciplinary proceedings against them for "failing" to maintain law and order during the nomination filing by BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari in the fiercely contested Bhabaniour constituency.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had accompanied Adhikari for the filing of the nomination papers on April 2 in the constituency in south Kolkata, where the leader of the opposition in the outgoing Assembly is pitted against incumbent Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
In a communication to the West Bengal chief secretary, the poll panel said the direction is based on a recommendation from state Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal.
The communication directed action against Kolkata Police's Deputy Commissioner (DC-II), South Division, Siddhartha Dutta, Officer-in-Charge of Alipore Police Station Priyankar Chakraborty, Additional OC Chandi Charan Banerjee, and Sergeant Saurabh Chatterjee.
"The commission has agreed to the proposal and directs that the aforementioned police officers be suspended and disciplinary proceedings be initiated against them immediately," it stated.
The poll body has asked the state authorities to ensure that its directions are implemented without delay and that a compliance report be submitted by 11 am on Monday.
Moreover, the poll panel has sought an urgent proposal from the state government to fill the vacant posts, including that of DC-II, South Division, and the officer-in-charge positions at Alipore Police Station.
The BJP held a massive roadshow before the filing of the nomination on April 2 that moved through the constituency, considered Mamata Banerjee's bastion, with Shah and Adhikari standing on an open-hood, flower-decked vehicle.
As the convoy approached Kalighat, barely a few hundred metres from Banerjee's residence, Trinamool Congress workers and supporters gathered on the roadside waving green-and-white party flags, shouting 'Joy Bangla' and 'Mamata Banerjee zindabad' slogans.
However, the situation turned tense when the BJP roadshow and the TMC protest came face to face near Kalighat.
For several minutes, supporters of the two rival camps stood barely a few metres apart, hurling slogans at each other.
A thick cordon of police personnel formed a human wall between the two groups to prevent any clash, with officers pushing the rival supporters back on either side of the road.
The face-off brought traffic to a halt and heightened tension in the area before the BJP convoy moved ahead.