Even as the Trinamool Congress and the BJP crossed swords on the electoral battlefield senior TMC leader and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O' Brien on Tuesday attacked the saffron outfit for turning the Election Commission of India into its party office a reason that called for Supreme Court-monitored general elections.
The BJP promptly reacted calling upon Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to write a new Constitution as per the requirements of the Trinamool Congress.
Close on the heels of the election panel shunting out Bengal Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar --- a blue-eyed boy of the Chief Minister who was once questioned by the CBI for his alleged role in tampering of evidence in the Sharada and Rose Valley chit fund cases --- the BJP Rajya Sabha leader said that the saffron outfit was "destroying" institutions like the ECI by turning it into a BJP's "party office."
Comparing the ECI with "His Master's Voice" --- the renowned logo of a music company of the 60s and 70s, O'Brien wrote on the X handle "BJP's filthy tricks destroying institutions like Election Commission of India. Are BJP so nervous to face people that they are turning ECI into a party office to target Opposition? ECI or His Master's Voice?"
Demanding a Supreme Court-monitored election the TMC leader alleged how, the ECI was "Transferring officers of elected state governments! For free and fair elections," adding, "We want Supreme Court-monitored Election 2024."
Not only the change of the State DGP, much to the chagrin of the TMC the ECI has also ordered a highest seven-phase election to be manned by more than 92,000 central forces, highest till date.
The BJP was prompt to react asking O'Brien to advise his party boss to frame a new Constitution even as he said that the "Derek 'O Brien and his party want to write a new Constitution … so why not, Mamata Banerjee writes the new Constitution."
Later reminding how 74 people had died in the last year's panchayat elections which such large-scale violence and bloodshed Majumdar said that ECI would not work at the behest of Mamata Banerjee much like the way the State Election Commission did.
Meanwhile in quick succession of less than 24 hours the ECI changed the DGP twice by first shunting out Kumar to a "non-election related post," replacing him by Vivek Sahay and then replacing him by DGP Fire Brigade Sanjoy Mukherjee a 1989 batch IPS officer.According to sources the ECI wrote to Bengal Chief Secretary, BP Gopalika, directing him to ensure immediate compliance and confirm the appointment of Mukherjee by 5 pm on Tuesday. Sahay was apparently changed because he was due to retire on May 31.
Mukherjee, a 1989-batch IPS officer, was the second person on the list of the three officers recommended by the West Bengal government for the post of DGP to the EC.
