Saikat Chatterjee, a polling officer in West Bengal, was reportedly attacked by individuals after objecting to a Trinamool Congress campaign video during an electoral training session in Nadia district. The incident occurred at Ranaghat Debnath Institute for Boys School where Chatterjee, a teacher, raised concerns about the video content displayed.
Chatterjee, visibly injured, stated that he protested against the video showing Mamata Banerjee and the Jagannath Temple, citing a violation of the Model Code of Conduct. He alleged that he was brutally beaten by a group associated with the local block development office present at the training.
Following the altercation, the Block Development Officer, Sayntan Basu, acknowledged the argument but refuted claims of Chatterjee being physically assaulted. Despite Basu’s statement, polling personnel protested outside the center, questioning the safety of officers. Police intervention was required to restore order at the scene.
BJP’s Jagannath Sarkar criticized the Trinamool Congress, accusing them of fostering a climate of fear in the state and alleging collusion between administrative officials and the party. The Election Commission of India has initiated an inquiry into the incident, demanding a prompt report from relevant authorities and emphasizing the seriousness of the matter.
