Summary of this article
Four police officials suspended for failing to control tensions during the Bhabanipur nomination event.
BJP roadshow and TMC protest faced off near Kalighat, leading to a tense standoff.
Election Commission has demanded swift compliance and proposals to fill vacant police posts.
The Election Commission on Saturday ordered the suspension of four Kolkata Police officers and the initiation of disciplinary action against them for failing to maintain law and order during BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s nomination filing in the closely contested Bhabanipur constituency.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah accompanied Adhikari during the submission of his nomination papers on April 2 in the south Kolkata seat, where the Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing Assembly is contesting against incumbent Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
In a communication to the West Bengal Chief Secretary, the Commission stated that its directive was based on a recommendation from the State Chief Electoral Officer, Manoj Kumar Agarwal.
The order calls for action against Deputy Commissioner (DC-II), South Division, Siddhartha Dutta; Officer-in-Charge of Alipore Police Station, Priyankar Chakraborty; Additional Officer-in-Charge Chandi Charan Banerjee; and Sergeant Saurabh Chatterjee.
“The Commission has accepted the proposal and directs that the aforementioned officers be suspended and disciplinary proceedings initiated against them without delay,” the statement said.
The poll body has instructed state authorities to implement these directions promptly and submit a compliance report by 11 am on Monday.
Additionally, the Commission has requested 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.
On 2 April, the BJP organised a large roadshow ahead of the nomination filing, passing through the constituency, , widely regarded as Mamata Banerjee’s strongholdwith Shah and Adhikari standing atop an open, flower-decorated vehicle.
As the procession neared Kalighat, just a few hundred metres from Banerjee’s residence, Trinamool Congress supporters gathered along the roadside, waving party flags and raising slogans such as “Joy Bangla” and “Mamata Banerjee zindabad”.
Tensions escalated when the BJP procession encountered the TMC demonstration near Kalighat. For several minutes, supporters from both sides stood only a short distance apart, shouting slogans at one another.
A heavy police presence formed a human barrier to prevent clashes, with officers pushing the opposing groups back on either side of the road. The standoff brought traffic to a standstill and heightened tensions in the area before the BJP convoy eventually moved on.
