TMC criticises the transfer of SP, seeks action against BJP leader Samit Mondal

In a letter to West Bengals chief electoral officer the All India Trinamool Congress AITC demanded that BJP leader Samit Mondal be taken down instantly This comes after Mondal was linked to the police seizure of Rs 35 lakhs in undeclared cash when he appeared with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a public meeting in Kharagpur on May 19 according to ANI reportsIn a post on X on Tuesday AITC said Weve penned a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer CEO complaining against BJP leader Samit Mondal who was seen sharing the same stage as PM Narendra Modi on 19th May and was later apprehended by the Dist police with Rs 35 lakhs worth of unaccounted cash Weve also flagged that ECISVEEP instead of taking strong action against said BJP leader transferred the SP of Paschim Medinipur arbitrarily and unjustly just for discharging his duties We demand that the matter be thoroughly investigated and appropriate action be taken against the guilty Weve penned a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer complaining against BJP leader Samit Mondal who was seen sharing the same stage as PM Narendra Modi on 19th May and was later apprehended by the Dist police with Rs 35 lakhs worth of unaccounted cashWeve also flaggedhellip pictwittercomgbyBP2994Omdash All India Trinamool Congress AITCofficial May 21 2024The letter titled Complaint against Samit Mondal a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP and the BJP leadersmembers for resorting to malpractices and corruption during the ensuing Lok Sabha elections 2024 and further against the unjustarbitrary transfer of Superintendent of Police SP of Paschim Medinipur by Election Commission of India ECI thereby acting in a partisan manner raised many serious claimsPer an ANI report the letter claims that on May 19 district police arrested Shibu at the Event View Hotel in Kalaikunda Kharagpur during a raid Shibu was found to have about Rs 32 lakhs in unaccounted cash According to reports Shibu is close to Samit Mondal and Sudam Pandit the president of the BJPs Kanthi Sangathanik Zilla According to the AITC this money might be used to sway voters which would be against the Model Code of Conduct and would undermine electoral integrityThe letter said This is to bring to your urgent attention that we are astonished by the series of events that have recently transpired in connection with a public meeting held by the Honble Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi star campaigner of BJP and Samit Mondal BJPs leader at Kharagpur falling under Medinipur Parliamentary Constituency on 19052024Continuing in the letter they said On 19052024 while conducting a raid in the Event View Hotel Sahachak Kalaikunda under Kharagpur Local PS one Shibu was apprehended by the district police with more than Rs 3200000 Rupees ThirtyTwo Lakhs Only of unaccounted cash It is pertinent to note that the said Shibu is a close aide and confidant of Sudam Pandit President BJP Kanthi Sangathanik Zilla and Mondal and can be seen in close proximity and engaging with several members of the BJP who were present on the dais during PM Modis public meeting on the aforementioned dateThe letter further stated Such a seizure from an ally of Mr Mondal who holds a titular position in the BJP in the local area and is widely known as being extremely close to Mrs Agnimitra Paul the BJP candidate from Medinipur PC raises serious concerns about corruption and misuse of power being promoted by the leadersmembers of the BJP An image of the seized money is being provided for your reference as Annexure 2 An FIR in this regard was also registered by the local PSAdditionally on May 20 the ECI transferred Paschim Medinipur SP Dhritiman Sarkar and the AITC expressed dismay at the decision calling it punitive and arbitrary They contend that Sarkars transfer undermines public trust and demoralises the police forceWhat comes as a more shocking turn of events is that the ECI instead of taking strong action against the BJP acted in a completely baffling arbitrary manner The very next day ie on 20052024 the ECI transferred Dhritiman Sarkar SP of Paschim Medinipur without any justificationexplanationreasoning by passing an arbitrary and capricious transfer order vide Notification no 464WBHPESII2024 This abrupt transfer is indicative towards an act of retributionpunishment against the SP for performing his duties independently and righteously The aforesaid transfer order fails to offer any rationale behind the ECIs sudden decision and has an adverse impact of eroding public confidence in the police force of the state of West Bengal as well as demoralising a disciplined force the letter readsThe letter outlines key issues Corruption and Malfeasance Samit Mondal of BJP was caught with a considerably large amount of unaccounted for cash which undermines the fairness of the democratic process Intimidation of law enforcement agency The sudden transfer of a highranking officer suggests potential intimidation of law enforcement agencies to shield individuals engaged in corrupt practicesSamit Mondal of BJP was caught with a considerably large amount of unaccountedfor cash which is first and foremost a direct violation of Model Code of Conduct MCC and other electoral laws and it undermines the fairness of the democratic process Given that Mr Mondal was present with Mr Modi during the said public meeting it can be deduced that Mr Modi is also actively engaged in such corrupt practices Further such unaccounted cash could also be used to unduly manipulate and influence voters which completely undermines the ethos of a free and fair election Thereby BJP is evidently engaging in corrupt practices which are likely to disrupt the level playing field reads the letterThe sudden transfer of a highranking officer who was performing his duty with utmost diligence suggests potential intimidation of law enforcement agencies to shield individuals engaged in corrupt practices Since Purulia and Medinipur are scheduled to go for polls on 25052024 the present decision of the ECI raises suspicion that the subject transfers have been orchestrated it addedThe AITC wants an exhaustive inquiry and adequate measures to guarantee a free and fair electoral process particularly in light of the upcoming elections in Purulia and MedinipurWith Inputs from ANI