Mamata's 'hate speech' against poll panel under scanner

The videos of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's speech, where she had cast aspersions on the functioning of the poll panel, would be forwarded to the Election Commission in Delhi for scrutiny, the state's chief electoral officer Sunil Gupta said Wednesday.

According to Gupta, his office has asked the district magistrates (DM) of Burdwan and Hooghly for the official videos of Banerjee's comments where she had trained her guns on the Commission after it ordered the removal of eight officers from poll duty.

"We have asked the DMs to send us the official videos of the comments. They will be sent to the Commission in Delhi where necessary action will be taken," he told reporters here.

The poll panel Monday ordered the transfer of eight state officials, including five district police chiefs and one district magistrate, asking the state government to implement the order by Tuesday. Seven of the officials were removed from poll duty.

Reacting angrily to the development, Banerjee Monday refused to carry out the instruction and said she was even prepared to go to jail. She also alleged that the Election Commission has hatched a conspiracy to facilitate rigging of the polls by the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party and the Communist Party of India-Marxist.

She relented a day later, but said the officers will be reinstated in their old postings after the polls. She also terming the order "political vendetta".

"We are not accepting it as the EC's order... rather accepting it as a constitutional obligation. For the time being we are accepting the removal of the officers but once the polls are over, they will return to their original places," Banerjee told media persons at Durgapur in Burdwan district Tuesday.

She has also accused Deputy Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi of involvement in a scam.

"There is a case against this man in Rajasthan involving a land scam. Even a non-bailable warrant was issued against him but he got it stayed by Supreme Court.

"Why is this person in charge of election process in Bengal? Why a tainted person like him is allowed to function. We demand his immediate removal," said Banerjee who had attacked Zutshi on Monday too.

The poll panel had remained adamant on its decision on the transfers and mandated the Banerjee government to comply its order by Wednesday.

The government abided by the EC order during the day.