[Marxistindia] Memo to ECI

[news from the cpi(m)]

March 18, 2016

Press Release

 

A two member delegation of the CPI(M) consisting of General Secretary
Sitaram Yechury and Central Secretariat Member Nilotpal Basu met the Chief
Election Commissioner today to draw attention of the Commission to some
serious concerns with regard to the forthcoming elections to the West Bengal
legislative assembly.  

 

The full text of the memorandum submitted to the Commission is being
released herewith.

 

 

(Hari Singh Kang)

For Central Committee Office

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Dear Sir,

 

We would like to inform you, as we have been given to understand, that out
of the 200 odd Ponzi companies in which only 44 are being investigated by
the CBI and the rest by the state police.  We have been given to further
understand that under the threat of investigation, some of these smaller
companies are being forced to cough up money which are finding their way to
finance the ruling party's election funding (Annexure-I).  We believe that
the EC's initiative to follow up the details of these companies from police
records and their financial transactions could prove to be a major element
in plugging this monetary flow.  

 

In fact, during your stay in Kolkata itself, you have been briefed by the
opposition parties about a video which resulted from a sting operation
carried out for two years.  The video is explosive and quite tellingly
brings out the brazenness of the top brass of the ruling party, many of whom
are MPs, MLAs, Ministers and the Mayor of Kolkata. In fact, the Lok Sabha
and its Speaker has taken cognizance and referred the matter to the
Parliament's Ethics Committee for investigation.  We believe that you have
been also urged to take up this issue because some portions of this video
exposure directly concern the EC's jurisdiction where Burdwan district SP
collected money on behalf of Mukul Roy, MP (RS) and the TMC leader.  May we
remind that this same officer was transferred by the EC for his tainted
record during 2014 Lok Sabha elections and the CM had launched an ugly
confrontation against the EC to stop that.  

 

We believe that the video precisely vindicates the concerns that we had
expressed before you.  

 

We are also constrained to draw your attention to certain serious issues of
concern which will affect the process of elections to the West Bengal
assembly.

 

Unfortunately, notwithstanding your efforts, complaints keep pouring in from
our Party units and the Left Front in West Bengal which underline the
continuing serious situation in a number of assembly constituencies.  

 

Despite your best efforts, a major concern is emerging on the implementation
of the very specific direction that the EC has given over non-deployment of
civic volunteers for election work and blanket ban on  staging any motor
bike procession (Annexure II & III).  There are reports available with us,
as well as, that in the media about violation on these two counts. In fact,
what is most disturbing that in many cases, officer in-charges of police
stations are deploying  civic volunteers  for the general overseen of stay
and other arrangements for the Central security forces and even assisting in
route marches for area domination.  It is well known that civic volunteers
are essentially recruited on a contractual basis and in the present
circumstances largely constituted by TMC activists.  The implication is
obvious.  Similarly, procession of motor bike is the most widely used method
to terrorise the population.  Therefore, on these two  counts, a closer
monitoring of the  implementation of the guideline  is solicited.    

 

We are forwarding some of the most serious issues.  One of these is the
situation prevailing in the Keshpur assembly constituency of West Midnapur
district. Incidentally, this is an area which has earlier witnessed intense
Maoist activity and widespread public perception linked them to the present
ruling party.  There have not only been attacks but also storing of huge
amounts of firearms.  The complaint also gives out a detailed list of
individuals who are in the possession of these arms (Annexure IV & V).

 

We had earlier drawn your notice to the serious situation prevailing in the
tri-junction of Birbhum, Murshidabad and Bardwan districts. The major source
of concern is the activity of Birbhum district president of the TMC,
Anubrata Mondal.  He is notorious for making outrageous statements
completely violating the model of code of conduct in the manner of
provocation and incitement to violence.  We are appending herewith a
complaint from the CPI(M) West Bengal State Committee to his latest
statement which underlines this threat. Therefore, he needs to be brought
under special watch and acted upon  for his remark (Annexure VI).

 

There are also complaints that some clubs (as we had expressed apprehensions
earlier) are getting involved to act in favour of the ruling party (Annexure
VII). Apart from this, there are instances of dereliction of duty by the
police, which might be willful as well, in order to benefit the TMC and
harass common voters and create an atmosphere of terror (Annexure VIII).  

 

Apart from this, there are issues which need to be brought to your notice.
The first issue pertains to the attack on Shri Tapas Sinha proposed Left
Front candidate in 217 Ramnagar AC in Purba Medinipur district. We are
hereby forwarding the letter of the CPI(M) West Bengal State committee
(Annexure IX). The letter is self-explanatory and substantiates the extent
of terror and attempts by the ruling TMC to undermine the process of free
and fair elections.  We would like to further point out that the main
accused has not been arrested; on the contrary, he is sighted on a regular
basis in the BDO office.

 

We are also forwarding the letter written to you by the CPI(M) West Bengal
State Committee on 12th March, 2016 regarding rape, molestation and attempt
to murder by criminals of TMC in 132 Sagar AC in South 24 Parganas district
(Annexure X). The letter is again self-explanatory. 

 

We are forwarding a letter written to you by the CPI(M) West Bengal State
Committee regarding the gross violation of the model code of conduct by the
government of West Bengal through publication of the recruitment procedure
in Madrasas (Annexure XI). Again the letter is self-explanatory with the
appended Gazette Notification. 

 

We are forwarding a letter written to you by the Left Front Committee of
West Bengal (Annexure XII). This is a very serious issue on the
confidentiality of the presiding officer's diary. The letter explains in the
light of earlier elections to incorporate the strict instruction to maintain
the confidentiality of the presiding officer's diary and the procedure to be
followed thereon to insulate the process from undue interference by the
state government officials. 

 

We are also forwarding a number of complaints about the situation in West
Midnapur, East Midnapur, Nadia districts.  The complaints are
self-explanatory (Annexure XIII).  

 

We are also forwarding complaints on misuse of EPIC.  The complaint is
self-explanatory (Annexure XIV). 

 

We are flagging the need to closely monitor the transfer/posting of officers
upto the level of inspector/sub-inspector/Assistant sub-inspector of the
state police under different police stations. We are given to understand
that even now a large number of discrepancies remain in the transfer/posting
of higher rank officers in both the civil and police administration contrary
to instructions issued by the Election Commission. Further, the
inter-district transfers of Inspectors/SIs/ASIs have not been carried out.
We believe that the Commission will appreciate the fact that these category
of officials are those who control the basic policing work at the police
station level. Therefore, their transfers in the line of what was done in
the case of Bihar assembly elections is absolutely imperative. We are hereby
appending a copy of the same Bihar order for your ready reference and
further action (Annexure XV). 

 

We are hereby seeking your decision on our earlier plea regarding the
transfer/posting of certain high ranking officials viz. Smt. Bharati Ghosh
(who was posted as OSD, LWE having jurisdiction over three districts of West
Medinipur, Bankura and Purulia) and Smt. Nandini Chakraborty (who was
transferred out from her position as Commissioner, Presidency range).

 

In the light of the direct challenge launched by the CM West Bengal herself
to undermine the authority of the Election Commission as brought out before
the Commission earlier, these issues that we have now pointed out need to be
urgently acted upon. 

 

With regards

 

Yours sincerely

 

Sd/-

(Sitaram Yechury)                                              (Nilotpal
Basu)

General Secretary                            Member, Central Secretariat

 

 

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