'EC action is prima facie undemocratic, biased': Mamata fumes after transfer of Bengal cops

After the poll body replaced Kolkata police commissioner, 3 other Bengal top cops Friday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in a letter to Election Commission termed the decision as highly arbitrary, motivated and biased. Unhappy with EC's move, Mamata Banerjee wrote, "by not following the established practice and not seeking a panel of officers from the state government, the action of the ECI is prima facie undemocratic, biased and suffers from principles of natural justice."

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "it is very unfortunate that I have to write this letter today to raise a strong protest against the transfer order dated April 5, 2019 issued by the Election commission of India by way of removing four senior officers from their existing positions.

The Election Commission of India Friday night removed Kolkata Police Commissioner Anuj Sharma and Bidhannagar Police Commissioner Gyanwant Singh ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in a major shake-up in the police establishment of the state. 

Responding to EC's decision, Mamata Banerjee alleged, "We have every reason to believe that the decision of the commission is at the behest of the ruling party at the Centre." 

She said, "the PM, BJP contesting candidate in the coming Lok Sabha election made a statement in a TV show that law and order situation is bad in Bengal and that is why 7-phase election has been ordered." Just soon thereafter the order of the commission on the removal of officers was received. 

The announcement of transfers had come days after BJP leaders had alleged that free and fair elections would not be possible in the state under these officers. 

"This flow of events gives to strong doubts whether the commission is functioning as per its constitutional mandate of conducting free and fair elections or working in a manner to appease the ruling BJP at the Centre ... The decision of the ECI to remove these officers leave a big question mark whether this step is to give a  shield to the vested interested parties and their political masters," Mamata Banerjee said. 

Mamata Banerjee concluded by saying, "I would, therefore, urge the commission to review its decision and would also request the commission to cause an inquiry as to how and under whose guidance, the decision of transfers of the officers has been taken".  

Following EC's transfer order, Dr Rajesh Kumar, Additional Director General of Police (ADG), Pollution Control Board, was made the new Kolkata top cop, while Natarajan Ramesh Babu, ADG and IGP, Operations, was named the Bidhannagar police commissioner. 

The poll body also named Avannu Ravindranath, DC (Airport Division) of Bidhannagar, as the new superintendent of police (SP) of Birbhum and appointed Srihari Pandey, DC KAP, 3rd Battalion, as the SP of Diamond Harbour.

The EC had written to West Bengal Chief Secretary Malay Dey, directing an immediate implementation of the directives and seeking a compliance report in respect to the joining of the transferred officers within 24 hours.

The commission also directed that the present incumbent officers being shifted should not be involved by the state government in any election-related duty.  Both Sharma and Singh were present with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee when she started her dharna to protest a CBI action against the then Kolkata police commissioner in connection with its probe in the Saradha scam. Sharma had replaced Kumar in mid-February.

Incidentally, after Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee's wife Rujira was allegedly found carrying gold at the Kolkata airport, the BJP had lodged a complaint with the EC against Bidhannagar Police Commissioner Gyanwant Singh.

The party had demanded that Singh be held "responsible" for the alleged police interference, if "prima facie any such incident happened".

(With inputs from PTI)