Poila Berserk - Didi dares, EC ejects Anubrata's buddies

Mamata Banerjee speaks at a rally in Birbhum’s Suri on Thursday when she
shared the dais with Anubrata Mondal. Picture by Dwijodas Ghosh

TT, Calcutta, April 14: Mamata Banerjee was tilting at a bewildering array of windmills after the Election Commission slapped the chief minister with a showcause and set the stage for action against Anubrata Mondal, her close aide who is fast gaining a reputation as the biggest bully in Bengal.

The commission struck with unusual speed tonight, removing the district police chief and three other officers in Birbhum, Mondal's fief, possibly clearing the decks for action against the Trinamul leader.

The Election Commission, facing complaints of ineffectual conduct of the first phase of the Assembly polls in Bengal, took the series of steps during and after a full-bench visit to Calcutta today.

Mamata has been showcaused following complaints that she violated the model code of conduct by promising during a campaign rally on April 9 to make Asansol a separate district.

Chief election commissioner Nasim Zaidi said in New Town: "A detailed notice has been sent to her and the commission is awaiting a response.

"She has also made some other statements in violation of the model code.... When we receive a response, we will decide on the future course of action," he added.

This is the first time a chief minister of Bengal is being showcaused by the Election Commission. Chief ministers of other states had earlier come under the glare of the poll panel.

The charge against Mamata is not grave - she could be let off with censure and a warning if the commission finds her reply satisfactory. Trinamul has already said the chief minister had merely repeated a cabinet decision taken in December on the creation of new districts. Asansol is now part of Burdwan district.

However, what was unusual was the way Mamata responded, thundering in public that she said the "right thing", she would do so "a thousand, a lakh times" and adding the Election Commission could "do whatever you can".

The chief minister also made Indian politics stand on its head by rewriting political equations while holding forth on the alleged inspiration behind the showcause notice.

"Modi, Sonia and Ahmed Patel (the Congress president's political secretary) have instructed. That is why they have sent me the showcause," Mamata said in Birbhum.

In recent memory, especially after the constitutional body had earned global acclaim for more or less cleaning up the poll process and conducting without too many glitches an exercise that has foxed even the superpowers, no public figure has treated the Election Commission with such disdain and contempt.

Mamata's outburst suggested that she was levelling grave charges against the commission without even being aware of the reason behind its notice.

" Amake aajkey naki show-cause korechhey, inchi te inchi te keno bolechhi? Besh korechhi bolechhi. Abar bolbo, hajar bar bolbo, lokhyo bar bolbo (They want to know why I said I will get back at them inch by inch? I said the right thing. I will say it again, I will say it a thousand times, a lakh times)," the chief minister said.

Trinamul leaders later claimed that Mamata was not aware of the ground for the showcause and was referring to a remark made in a different campaign speech earlier this election season.

The chief minister seemed to take particular umbrage at the "auspicious" timing of the Election Commission's announcement. " Aaj nababarsher prothom din amake showcause korechhe... (Today, on the first day of the (Bengali) New Year, they have showcaused me," Mamata said.

Asked about Mamata's response, poll panel chief Zaidi replied: "The commission will not comment on reactions to its actions."

Commission sources said if Mamata chooses not to respond or her reply is dissatisfactory, the commission might take the legal route.

"The chief secretary, as the head of the permanent government, and the director-general of state police would be instructed to initiate a case against her under relevant legal sections," a source said.

Mamata has a history of threatening to defy the commission and then blinking. Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls of 2014, she had initially refused to enforce the commission's order to remove over two dozen officials but yielded after the then chief secretary counselled her and apprised her of the possibility of a constitutional crisis.

Trinamul today described the showcause as "ludicrous", saying "the decision to make Asansol, Kalimpong, Basirhat, the Sunderbans and Jhargram into different districts was taken up in the Bengal cabinet in December 2015, four months ago".

More shock was in store for the party as night fell. The commission, which had earlier in the day said it was considering action against Mondal who had been censured and showcaused for intemperate statements and open threats, removed several key police officers in Birbhum.

Mondal is the Trinamul president of Birbhum. If any action against him has to be enforced, the first step is to ensure the removal of the officers accused of colluding with him.

The poll panel removed Birbhum superintendent of police Mukesh Kumar and the officers in charge of Bolpur (Jaharjyoti Roy), Labhpur (Debasish Ghosh) and Mayureswar (Sanjay Srivastava).

Within hours of the full bench's return from Calcutta, the Nirvachan Sadan issued the orders. "The chief election commissioner clearly stated the commission was actively considering more removals. But nobody at Nabanna expected more heads to roll tonight itself," said a state government official.

The commission has so far removed 42 officials in the civil and police administration - the most ever in the state.

All Opposition parties had complained of bias against Mukesh, the SP who has been removed. Labhpur, Mayureswar and Bolpur have been among the most troubled zones in the district over the past three years.

The transfer of two of the officers in charge bore out with alarming clarity what the chief minister had declared during the day. "Make as many transfers as you like, everyone is ours. Mindset won't be changed if they go somewhere else for 15 days," Mamata said.

The OCs of Labhpur and Mayureswar were replaced only a month ago. Complaints had piled up against the replacements, too.

In front of Ghosh, the Labhpur OC who was shifted tonight, a 62-year-old widow had consumed poison yesterday. She died today. She had alleged that he refused to accept an assault complaint yesterday because she was a CPM supporter.

SHOWCAUSED, THIS IS HOW A CHIEF MINISTER SPEAKS

They showcaused me on the first day of the year (the Bengali new year). I said the right thing. I will say it again, I will say it a thousand times, a lakh times. Do whatever you can 

Mamata Banerjee

Why should Anubrata be arrested? …They won’t get Birbhum by putting Anubrata behind bars

You have transferred officers, now transfer me also. Do whatever you like but you can’t replace Trinamul

Mamata Banerje