Kolkata Police headquarters. (Representational photo)
Accusing the Mamata Banerjee government of conducting sting operations on opposition leaders to defame them ahead of assembly polls, the BJP on Tuesday moved the Election Commission seeking removal of Kolkata Police Commissioner claiming he was snooping on politicians at the behest of the state government.
A BJP delegation met Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi and handed over a memorandum against the TMC government and Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar.
The BJP alleged that two persons approached former party state unit chief Rahul Sinha with an offer of money in exchange of help for cow smuggling across Bengal-Bangladesh Border.
When an FIR was lodged against them at the behest of Mr Sinha, the two were identified as Subasis Roy Chowdhury, a police ASI and Aminul Rahman, a constable from Special Branch of West Bengal Police.
"This clearly appears to be a government sponsored conspiracy towards a failed sting operation to discredit BJP, their main opposition in the coming election. Apparently this heinous and reckless conspiracy was attempted by the ruling party to divert attention from Narada scam," the memorandum alleged.
Dubbing the Kolkata Commissioner of Police as a "snooping cop" who conducts illegal surveillance on leaders, bureaucrats, journalists, activists under the directions of the CM, BJP said he was made CP just before election to "facilitate" the ruling party.
"Free and fair poll is not possible in Kolkata if Rajeev Kumar remains as city police chief...Rajeev Kumar be removed with immediate effect and be dissociated from electoral processes altogether," the BJP said.