Mamata attacks EC official, says warrant against him

Attacking eputy Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday alleged that there was a non-bailable warrant against him and questioned how such an officer can be given overall charge of elections in a state.

"The officer who was sent to Bengal as the in-charge of the election... there was a non-bailable warrant against him in the Supreme Court. I am naming him - Zutshi. He has taken a stay order on the non-bailable warrant against him."

"An officer who has a case against him, how can you send him? This is a conspiracy hatched by the Election Commission, BJP and the Congress,' said Banerjee while addressing an election rally in Pandua of Hooghly district.

Banerjee trained guns on Zutshi during an all-out attack against the Election Commission after it transferred eight West Bengal officials. The fuming chief minister refused to carry out the orders and said she was even prepared to go to jail.

Asked about Banerjee's comments on Zutshi, state's chief electoral officer Sunil Gupta said he would not comment without verifying what the chief minister has actually said.

"Now without verifying what a specific individual, minister or chief minister has said, I won't comment. I will first ascertain what she has said, then we will comment," he said.