The Election Commission of India is addressing concerns over potentially biased security arrangements for Trinamool Congress-linked individuals in West Bengal ahead of the upcoming elections, demanding a swift and impartial review.
Key Points
- The Election Commission of India (ECI) has raised concerns about police security provided to individuals linked to the TMC before the West Bengal elections.
- The ECI views the security deployment as a 'lapse' and has instructed the DGP to conduct a professional review within days.
- The ECI emphasises that security arrangements must be impartial and adhere to established guidelines during the West Bengal elections.
- Prior to the election announcement, over 2,000 police personnel were assigned to protect hundreds of TMC members and supporters.
The Election Commission of India has taken serious note of the deployment of police personnel for providing security to individuals allegedly linked to the ruling TMC ahead of the West Bengal elections, a senior official said on Friday.
Describing the matter as a "lapse", the official said the poll panel has issued directions to the DGP to ensure corrective measures at the earliest.
"Before the announcement of elections, the West Bengal government had deployed 2,185 police personnel to provide security to 832 people belonging to Trinamool Congress directly and 144 others, who include TMC supporters," the top official told PTI.
ECI's Directive for Impartial Security
"The ECI has taken serious note of this lapse and has directed the DGP to conduct a strict professional review within the next 2-3 days fairly and equitably," he added.
The Commission has emphasised that security deployment must remain impartial and in line with established norms, he said.
