Bengal Panchayat Election: Will go to the High Court demanding the deployment of central forces

Kolkata, (IANS) | The joint forum of the state government employees, which is leading the movement demanding an increase in dearness allowance and their dues, has demanded from the High Court the deployment of central forces during the three-tier panchayat elections. According to Bhaskar Ghosh, convenor of the United Forum, his apprehensions about the safety of state government employees engaged in election-related duties came true on Saturday as a government employee at the block development office in Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district was arrested by the India Secular Front. The candidate was severely thrashed for allowing the nomination papers.

Citing this example, we will approach the Calcutta High Court for the deployment of central forces in the elections, Ghosh said.

The Joint Forum has already announced that they will boycott election related duties until the central armed forces are deployed. Last week, he also submitted a memorandum to the office of the West Bengal State Election Commission.

Supporting the demand of joint platform, BJP’s national vice-president and party’s Lok Sabha member Dilip Ghosh said that the demand is justified, as except the state government, all panchayats are demanding deployment of central forces in elections.

As it is, the state government employees have been denied their legitimate right of enhanced dearness allowance, he said. In such a situation, they certainly cannot risk their lives by joining the election duty without the security cover of central forces, given the past history of violence and bloodshed.

Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Dr. Santanu Sen said, when the state government and the state election commission are giving assurances of free, fair and polling, the state government employees should believe their assurances. They are unnecessarily trying to make an issue out of this matter.

–IANS