In a controversial statement, a legislator of the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal has asked the party workers to attack and chase away the security force personnel deployed on election duty in the state. A video clip of the speech by Chakdaha MLA Ratna Ghosh Kar has gone viral on social media prompting the Bharatiya Janata Party to lodge a complaint against her with the Election Commission.
According to reports, the Chief Election Commission's office has sought a report from Nadia district magistrate.
In the video, Ratna Ghosh Kar is heard saying to the party workers: “There’s nothing fair or unfair, democratic or undemonstrative way of winning a war. You have to win it by any means. I have seen it in 2016 elections, how central force beat up our boys, there was bloodbath. This time, it is even more challenging, but there’s nothing to be scared.”
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“We will not care about the central forces. And if the central forces are pro-active, I will request the Mahila Morcha members to pick up broomsticks and chase them away from our area,” she said.
A massive contingent of 41,000 paramilitary personnel will be deployed in the politically crucial state during the remaining six phases of Lok Sabha polls. This is the maximum number of central security forces ever deployed in the state for the general elections.
A large of chunk of the 400 companies will be drawn from the Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, Sashastra Seema Bal, Central Industrial Security Force and Indian Reserve Battalions (IRBs) of different states.
The state sends 42 Lok Sabha MPs. Elections to two constituencies was held in phase one on April 11, while three seats will go to polls on Thursday in the second phase. The state will have seven-phase polls.
Officials said a number of polling booths have been declared sensitive from the point of view of violence and suspicion of distribution of poll inducements like liquor and cash.
With inputs from PTI
