Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday wrote to the Chief Election Officer of West Bengal demanding removal of DCP South, Akash Magharia, alleging that he molested BJP's Bhabhanipur candidate Priyanka Tibrewal and three other Members of Parliament (MP).
The BJP wrote, "On the eve of September 23, 2021, when our electoral candidate Priyanka Tebrewal along with MPs Dr Sukanta Majumdar, Jyotirmoy Singh Mohanto and Arjun Singh was on a peaceful last rites procession of the latest victim Manash Saha, who succumbed to injuries suffered in the aftermath of the post-poll atrocity committed by TMC. The procession maintaining all Covid guidelines and restriction was peacefully proceeding when a huge number of police personnel resorted to unprovoked aggression and started charging towards the funeral progression."
The letter added, "To our utter disbelief and shock, the police force led by DCP South Division, Akash Magharia, Kolkata Police took it upon him to break the funeral procession and physically started to drag, push, shove and everything within his physical prowess at Sukanta Majumdar. The same officer molested and inappropriately manhandled Priyanka Tebrewal and some women present. This kind of unlawful behaviour by a civil servant working at the behest of the party in power not only breaks the moral of every proud Indian but also breaks the law under section 166, 166A, 334, 354, 336, 339, 349, 350, 351, 354 (A) (B), 355 of IPC."
BJP demanded in the letter that Akash, along with other police officers involved in the incident be removed from the election duty and appropriate action is taken against them.
Mamata Banerjee was defeated by BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari in the Nandigram Assembly constituency in the Assembly elections held earlier this year.
Following this, the Bhabanipur Assembly seat was vacated by the West Bengal Agriculture Minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay in May, making way for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to contest from Bhabanipur seat.
On September 10, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule of by-polls to be held in the state. According to the schedule, the by-election in Bhabanipur Assembly Constituency in West Bengal will be held on September 30.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Priyanka Tibrewal in Bhabanipur against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the upcoming by-poll
The counting of votes will be taken up on October 3.
( With inputs from ANI )
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