The Election Commission of India has instructed the Chief Secretary of West Bengal to suspend Avijit Paul, Inspector-in-Charge of Basanti Police Station, due to his alleged negligence during the recent violence in the area. The Commission criticized the police for not taking adequate precautions despite prior knowledge of potential unrest related to political events. Central Armed Police Forces were available but not utilized by Paul, leading to his immediate suspension and initiation of disciplinary action.
Inspector Prabir Ghosh from the Enforcement Branch of West Bengal Police will replace Paul following the directive. The Chief Secretary has been tasked with promptly implementing the Commission’s orders and submitting a compliance report by Friday evening. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party has accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of inciting the violence through provocative statements during an election rally, with tensions escalating in Basanti shortly after her address.
Amit Malviya, the BJP’s Information Technology cell chief for West Bengal, alleged that the clashes were a result of the Chief Minister’s call for party workers to arm themselves, leading to chaos in the area. Malviya further criticized the local police for their inaction during the violence, attributing the unrest to ruling party supporters.
