Malda, Bengal: Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress has kicked up another row in the middle of campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls, with party activists allegedly slapping Election Commission officials who were monitoring a bikers' rally at Manikchak in Malda district today.
(India Votes 2014: full coverage)Taking a serious note of the incident, the Election Commission has sought a report on it from the Malda district administration by 5 pm, and has directed it to take serious action against the culprits. An FIR has been registered in the case.
The Election Commission officials were allegedly manhandled in the presence of West Bengal Women and Child Welfare Minister Sabitri Mitra and the party's south Malda candidate Mouzzen Hossen, who refused to intervene. (
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The incident occurred around noon, when about 200 Trinamool Congress activists took out a motor-cycle rally in support of Mr Hossen. As the rally reached Manikchak, the bikers were spotted by a vehicle transporting three Election Commission officials. They stopped their vehicle, and asked the bikers whether they had taken permission for their rally. An argument ensued, and ended with the Trinamool Congress activists pushing around two of the officials, and even going to the extent of slapping them.
This is the second standoff involving the Trinamool Congress and the Election Commission within the span of a couple of days. On Monday, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had dared the Commission to transfer eight officials to facilitate free and fair polls. The confrontation ended only after the state government agreed to replace them.
(Furious Mamata dares Election Commission to transfer officials in Bengal)