Suvendu Adhikari alleges misuse of police by TMC during SIR, asks ECI to deploy CAPF for poll duty

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], November 25 (ANI): Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, on Tuesday wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging violation of the "neutrality" principle and misuse of police by the TMC government during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.
Adhikhari flagged the participation of serving police officers and TMC leaders at the Second State Conference of Women Police Personnel held on Saturday, terming it as the ruling party's political rally.
He accused the TMC of "election rigging" and calling the SIR exercise a "scam."
Adhikhari demanded that the poll body bar the West Bengal Police from primary election duties in the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections and deploy the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).
"This matter pertains to a so-called "Second State Conference of Women Police Personnel" organised under the guise of the West Bengal Police Welfare Committee on November 22, 2025, at Digha, Purba Medinipur district. What was ostensibly a welfare event for Police Personnel has been exposed as nothing short of a brazen political rally orchestrated by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) party, with active participation from serving Police Officers and TMC Ministers, MLAs and Leaders all in flagrant violation of the principles of neutrality & impartiality. This event, attended by high-ranking Police officials... along with the entire central leadership of the Welfare Committees, was hijacked for partisan political purposes," he wrote in the letter to the ECI.
Further, the BJP leader accused TMC Ministers Shiuli Saha and Manas Ranjan Bhunia of their attacks at the Centre, allegedly accusing the Opposition in the state of "licking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's boots."
He wrote, "Several TMC ministers present at the event, including Shiuli Saha (Minister of State, Panchayats & Rural Development), Manas Ranjan Bhunia (Minister, Irrigation & Waterways and Water Resources Investigation & Development), and others used the platform to launch scurrilous attacks on the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi Ji, and the Central Government. Shiuli Saha derisively accused opposition leaders of "licking Modi's boots" while defending the Police's subservience to the TMC Supremo as mere "loyalty."
"Manas Ranjan Bhunia went further, labelling the ongoing SIR (Special Intensive Revision) exercise as a "huge scandal" and "kelenkari" (scam), alleging widespread name deletions from beneficiary lists orchestrated by the Central Government. He lambasted the Centre for withholding funds across sectors like Police modernisation, irrigation, education, drinking water, electricity, roads, housing, and MGNREGA wages, conveniently ignoring facts and turning a Police welfare event into a TMC propaganda fest," the BJP leader added in the letter.
Alleging an electoral fraud and an attempt to fabricate the SIR details, he added, "Election rigging has occurred on an unprecedented scale, particularly in the 2019 and 2024 elections, with numerous Police personnel directly involved. Welfare Committee members have been complicit in numerous instances of vote rigging, rigging of postal ballots, and fabrication of SIR details. Police personnel have collaborated with BLOs in the fabrication of voter details during the SIR exercise, while the RO (Reserve Office) of the Kolkata Police and the West Bengal Police have been involved in fabricating details in willing forms, Form 12, and Form 13 for Police personnel assigned under them who are unaware of such activities being carried out."
Further, he asked the ECI to investigate the West Bengal Police Welfare Committee's affiliations with the TMC and action against police officials involved in partisan activities.
He demanded, "Initiate a thorough investigation into the West Bengal Police Welfare Committee's activities and its affiliations with the TMC, including the role of serving Officers in partisan events, their involvement in election rigging, fabrication of voter details, and takeover of facilitation centres. Direct the State Government to suspend, initiate disciplinary action, and recommend the immediate transfer out of state or arrest of the Police Officers and Welfare Committee members involved in making political speeches, booth jamming, threats, and other partisan activities."
"Bar the West Bengal Police from primary election duties in the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections, recommending the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to ensure neutrality, and mandate out-of-state transfers for all implicated personnel to prevent continued interference. Issue strict guidelines to prevent such platforms, including Welfare Committees, from being misused for political propaganda, and require the State Government to publish clear, enforceable model guidelines for all such bodies to eliminate vagueness and misuse," the letter read.
The Election Commission of India wrote a letter to the TMC accepting their request for a meeting with the commission on November 28.
TMC MP Derek O'Brien asked for a meeting to arrange an appointment for a delegation of TMC MPs. The ECI agreed to the meeting as part of its initiative to strengthen relationships with political parties.
"Derek O'Brien, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha and Leader, AITC Parliamentary Party has requested an appointment for a delegation of Members of Parliament of the All India Trinamool Congress. The Commission always welcome regular interaction with the political parties for constructive dialogue," ECI said in the letter to TMC.
"Accordingly, the Commission has considered the party's request and decided to give an appointment to the delegation of All India Trinamool Congress, comprising of the Authorised Representative of the Party along with four other members of the party, for a meeting at 11:00 AM on November 28 at Nirvachan Sadan, Ashoka Road, New Delhi," the letter read.
West Bengal is undergoing the SIR exercise along with 11 other States and Union Territories, ahead of the Assembly Elections likely to be held in 2026. (ANI)