Congress, Trinamool clash in MPs' panel over West Bengal polls

Members of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Congress reportedly clashed in a parliamentary committee meeting here on Tuesday, officials said on Wednesday.

Deliberating at the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, Trinamool Congress member Sukhendu Shekhar Roy raised issues concerning the functioning of the Election Commission (EC), especially in the context of recently held assembly polls in West Bengal, the officials said.

While Roy, a Trinamool member of the Rajya Sabha, complained against the EC's certain discretionary orders like transferring civil and police officials during electioneering, he also asked why were the elections in West Bengal held in a multi-phase manner unlike in other states.

Congress member from the Lok Sabha Abu Haseem Khan Chowdhury protested against certain remarks of Roy and hailed the role played by the EC in conducting the state polls.

The heated debate occurred in the presence of EC officials who were called to attend the Standing Committee meeting.

The 31-member panel of members from both houses of parliament and headed by Congress member E.M. Sudarsana Natchiappan is at present examining the subject, "Feasibility of Holding Simultaneous Election to House".

This meeting is being held after reference from the department of Personnel and Training, sources said.

At the meeting, the TMC member pointed out that while independence of the EC is appreciable even a constitutional body should be made to adhere to the rule of law and good precedence and should be accountable.

The Trinamool member strongly questioned as to why and how as many as 68 top police and civil officials were transferred during the period leading up to the West Bengal polls.

The panel also reportedly took cognizance of a complaint about alleged misuse of money by the AIADMK during the assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.

The Standing Committee has among other members Abhishek Manu Singhvi (Congress), Majeed Memon (Nationalist Congress Party), K.T.S. Tulsi (Nominated), Bhupender Yadav (BJP) and Bhagwant Mann (AAP).

--IANS

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