MHA wants to know why additional troops needed in Bengal

The ministry of home affairs (MHA) on Monday sent a letter to the West Bengal State Election Commission (SEC) seeking details of the need for additional 485 companies of central forces, for which it has sent a requisition, an official said.

The MHA, in its letter, also sought details of the deployment of the 337 companies of central forces which have been sent so far for the coming panchayat election in the state, he said.

Sinha has written thrice to the MHA seeking more central forces for the panchayat election in the state, slated to be held on June 8.

The SEC has asked for total 822 companies of central forces from the MHA for the rural poll.

"The MHA has sent a letter to the SEC asking for reasons behind the requisition of additional 485 companies of central forces, for which State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha had written to it. It has also inquired how the central forces sent so far have been utilised. It asked the SEC to share details of the districts where these forces have been deployed so far," he added.

Central forces have already reached sensitive areas of Bengal and started 'confidence building' measures there.

Approximately 5.67 crore electorate are eligible to exercise their franchise to choose representatives in nearly 74,000 seats in zilla parishads, panchayat samiti and gram panchayats in the state.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the Border Security Force of scaring voters in the bordering areas of the state at the behest of the saffron camp and asked the police administration to keep a close watch on their activities.

"I have information that in the run up to the panchayat election, some BSF officials are visiting the border areas, threatening voters and forcing them not to vote. I will ask people not to be scared of their tactics and fearlessly participate in the elections," she told an election rally in the bordering district.

While referring to the alleged shooting of villagers by the BSF last year, whom the border force claimed as smugglers, Banerjee said, "Police will lodge FIRs in such cases and the law will take its own course."

"They don't have the right to shoot and kill anyone. No one is above the law; it seems killing people in Cooch Behar district has become a norm," she said.

She asserted 'law and order is a state subject' and the Centre has no role in it.

Asserting that the Trinamool will defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party in the three-tier rural polls, Banerjee said, "We will then oust the BJP from the Centre and bring a development-oriented government in the country."

The BJP dubbed the allegations of using BSF to serve its political purpose baseless.

"Such comments are unacceptable and an insult to our security forces. These remarks reflect the mindset of TMC as they have been up against the BSF since its jurisdiction was increased," BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh said.

The BJP-led central government in 2021 had amended the BSF Act to authorise the force to undertake search, seizure and arrest within a 50km stretch, instead of 15km, from the international border in Punjab, West Bengal and Assam.

It had snowballed into a major political issue in Bengal, with the ruling TMC passing a resolution in the state assembly opposing the Centre's decision.

Banerjee questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on Manipur, where over 100 lives have been lost in ethnic strife since May.

While claiming that the party is giving importance to panchayat elections, Banerjee said it would ensure there is no corruption at the ground level.

"Earlier, we might not have given much importance to panchayat elections, but this time, you have seen how we have conducted the mass outreach campaign, where people's views have been taken regarding selecting candidates. We will ensure that there is no corruption in the panchayat," she said.

The TMC supremo asked people to send photographs of those who seek bribes, and 'prompt action will be taken against the corrupt'.

Taking a swipe at BJP's slogan of 'double engine government', Banerjee said the 'BJP's double engine would get deflated in panchayat and then again in the next Lok Sabha polls'.

Around 5.67 crore voters are likely to exercise their franchise in the July 8 panchayat polls to elect nearly 75,000 candidates in zilla parishads, panchayat samiti and gram panchayats.