NEW DELHI: In a letter addressed to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Wednesday sought immediate intervention to curb the alleged misuse of police power against party workers and the hindrance of his election campaign.
“It is under very compelling circumstances that I am writing to bring to your attention and seek your immediate intervention to put an end to the blatant acts of misuse of the law by the law enforcement agencies themselves in implicating persons affiliated to the Congress on false and frivolous charges with the obvious intention of marring the party’s electoral prospects,” Chowdhury said in his letter to the CEC.
Chowdhury claimed that Congress workers were being falsely implicated and arrested on frivolous charges with the intention of damaging the party’s electoral prospects.
Chowdhury highlighted the case of Bachu Mondal, an elected Panchayat samithi member and opposition leader from the Congress Party in Berhampore block, who was arrested on the day of Holi on flimsy grounds. Despite being granted bail by the court, Mondal was once again booked on fictitious charges of carrying counterfeit currency and violating the Arms Act. Chowdhury alleged that the detention, arrest, and imprisonment of Mondal and other Congress supporters and leaders on baseless charges were part of a systematic plan to demoralize Congress workers and obstruct his election campaign.
“I wish to highlight here, the specific case of Shri Bachu Mondal, an elected Panchayat Samithi Member and Opposition Leader from the Congress Party from Berhampore block, who was arrested on the day of Holi on flimsy and frivolous grounds. Today, i.e. the 24th April, 2024 although Shri Mondal was granted bail by the Court, the authorities once again chose to book him on account of the fictitious charge of carrying counterfeit currency and Arms Act,” he said.
The Congress leader in Lok Sabha also mentioned other instances where his workers and close associates were being harassed by police officials. He expressed his disappointment with the Berhampore SP, stating that the police force under his control was involved in the “dirty game” of demoralizing his party workers and hindering his electioneering efforts.
“The facts relating to detention, framing of false charges and harassment of Congress workers obviously calls for immediately replacing these officials from the posts they are holding. I had, in fact, expressed my apprehension about the occurrence of these type of incidents with the Congress workers with the SP, Berhampore and also forewarned him,” he said.
“However, to my dismay, the police force under his control in Berhampore is, by and large, hand in glove with, and is a part of this dirty game of demoralizing my party workers and me from carrying on with the electioneering for the polls which are scheduled very shortly,” Chowdhury added.
Chowdhury appealed to the Election Commission to ensure justice by restraining and holding accountable the officials who have been misusing the law to intimidate, harass, and implicate Congress party workers, thereby impeding his election campaign.
He emphasized the urgent need for the Election Commission to take corrective measures to prevent further obstruction of his electioneering process by those in authority at the district and state levels.
“Given the factual position at the ground level in Berhampore constituency, I can, under the circumstances, only eagerly look upon the Election Commission to take corrective steps immediately, so that the process of my electioneering does not continue to be hampered with the mechanizations of people, including the Police who are in authority at the district and state level,” the Congress leader said in his letter.
“It is under very compelling circumstances that I am writing to bring to your attention and seek your immediate intervention to put an end to the blatant acts of misuse of the law by the law enforcement agencies themselves in implicating persons affiliated to the Congress on false and frivolous charges with the obvious intention of marring the party’s electoral prospects,” Chowdhury said in his letter to the CEC.
Chowdhury claimed that Congress workers were being falsely implicated and arrested on frivolous charges with the intention of damaging the party’s electoral prospects.
Chowdhury highlighted the case of Bachu Mondal, an elected Panchayat samithi member and opposition leader from the Congress Party in Berhampore block, who was arrested on the day of Holi on flimsy grounds. Despite being granted bail by the court, Mondal was once again booked on fictitious charges of carrying counterfeit currency and violating the Arms Act. Chowdhury alleged that the detention, arrest, and imprisonment of Mondal and other Congress supporters and leaders on baseless charges were part of a systematic plan to demoralize Congress workers and obstruct his election campaign.
“I wish to highlight here, the specific case of Shri Bachu Mondal, an elected Panchayat Samithi Member and Opposition Leader from the Congress Party from Berhampore block, who was arrested on the day of Holi on flimsy and frivolous grounds. Today, i.e. the 24th April, 2024 although Shri Mondal was granted bail by the Court, the authorities once again chose to book him on account of the fictitious charge of carrying counterfeit currency and Arms Act,” he said.
The Congress leader in Lok Sabha also mentioned other instances where his workers and close associates were being harassed by police officials. He expressed his disappointment with the Berhampore SP, stating that the police force under his control was involved in the “dirty game” of demoralizing his party workers and hindering his electioneering efforts.
“The facts relating to detention, framing of false charges and harassment of Congress workers obviously calls for immediately replacing these officials from the posts they are holding. I had, in fact, expressed my apprehension about the occurrence of these type of incidents with the Congress workers with the SP, Berhampore and also forewarned him,” he said.
“However, to my dismay, the police force under his control in Berhampore is, by and large, hand in glove with, and is a part of this dirty game of demoralizing my party workers and me from carrying on with the electioneering for the polls which are scheduled very shortly,” Chowdhury added.
Chowdhury appealed to the Election Commission to ensure justice by restraining and holding accountable the officials who have been misusing the law to intimidate, harass, and implicate Congress party workers, thereby impeding his election campaign.
He emphasized the urgent need for the Election Commission to take corrective measures to prevent further obstruction of his electioneering process by those in authority at the district and state levels.
“Given the factual position at the ground level in Berhampore constituency, I can, under the circumstances, only eagerly look upon the Election Commission to take corrective steps immediately, so that the process of my electioneering does not continue to be hampered with the mechanizations of people, including the Police who are in authority at the district and state level,” the Congress leader said in his letter.