BJP approaches poll panel against Bengal's TMC government

The BJP on Tuesday approached the Election Commission against what it called the "reprehensible and unethical acts of the West Bengal government of the Trinamool Congress".

"The reprehensible and unethical acts of the West Bengal government and the ruling party TMC continue unabated. Two people approached former BJP state president Rahul Sinha with offer of money in exchange for help in cow smuggling across the Bengal-Bangladesh border," the Bharatiya Janata Party said in a memorandum submitted to the Election Commission here.

"Sinha refused and detained them. An FIR was lodged with Jorasanko police. On investigation, both were identified as assistant sub-inspector Subhasis Roy Chowdhury and Aminul Rahman, a constable from the special branch of West Bengal Police, which functions directly under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Kolkata Commissioner of Police Rajeev Kumar," it added.

The memorandum said: "This clearly appears to be a government-sponsored conspiracy towards a failed sting operation to discredit the BJP, their main opposition in the coming assembly elections. Apparently, this heinous and reckless conspiracy was attempted by the ruling party to divert attention from Narada (sting operation)."

The BJP said that the Narada TV brought out a series of expose, which allegedly caught on tape senior TMC functionaries and members of parliament accepting bribes.

"This culture of money for favours or votes seriously threatens the very fabric of Indian democracy and compromises the possibility of free and fair elections," it said.

It demanded the removal of Rajeev Kumar and his dissociation from the electoral processes, arrest of delinquent police officials and handing over of investigations in the matter to an investigating agency outside West Bengal.

The BJP memorandum also talked of preventing tainted TMC functionaries from associating with the assembly elections in any manner, and appended a list of such persons.

It also demanded a stern warning from the Election Commission to the state government and the ruling party to desist from action that could affect the fairness of West Bengal elections and removal of state officers acting as TMC activists from election duties.