Following violence at a poll training venue in West Bengal, the Election Commission has suspended a Block Development Officer for failing to maintain election protocols after a teacher was allegedly assaulted for objecting to a government advertisement.
The Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday ordered the suspension of a Block Development Officer (BDO) in West Bengal's Nadia district and directed the initiation of departmental proceedings against him following violence at a poll training venue.
The alleged incident occurred on March 27 during a training programme for presiding and polling officers at a school in Hanskhali block, where a teacher sustained head injuries.
An FIR has been lodged at the Ranaghat police station in connection with the incident.
In a communication to the state authorities, the EC observed that Sayantan Bhattacharyya, a WBCS (Executive) officer posted as the BDO of Hanskhali, who was in overall charge of the training programme, "failed to maintain standard protocols in discharging his assigned election duty".
"The incident, resulting due to lack of seriousness by the officer-in-charge, has put a taint on efforts of EC to create a free, fair and transparent election environment," the order said.
The Election Commission directed that Bhattacharyya "shall be placed under suspension with immediate effect and departmental proceedings shall be initiated against him".
The EC also asked the state administration to implement the directions immediately and submit a compliance report by 11 am on April 1.
The teacher, identified as Saikat Chattopadhyay, was allegedly assaulted after he objected to the screening of a government advertisement.
According to some of the participants, a government advertisement featuring Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was displayed on a projector before the session began, prompting objections from some polling officials who said it violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
"I questioned why a government advertisement carrying the chief minister's image was being shown despite the MCC being in force. I was then physically assaulted and threatened," Chattopadhyay had alleged on the day of the incident.