Election Commission tells Bengal govt to suspend 4 officials by 3pm on Aug 11 | Kolkata

KOLKATA: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday told the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal to suspend by 3pm on Monday the four state government officers accused of adding names of fictitious voters in the electoral roll and compromising data security.

“No compliance report, indicating specific action taken against the officers, has been received in the Commission so far. The commission has directed that necessary action against the officers shall be taken immediately and a compliance report be furnished to the commission, latest by 3 pm on August 11,” said a letter sent by ECI to the state’s chief secretary on Friday.

The directive comes just two days after Banerjee slammed the elections watchdog at a rally in Jhargram district and declared that she won’t punish the officers on the directions of the panel.

ECI on Tuesday ordered suspension of four state government officials who were functioning as Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs). The panel also told the chief secretary to lodge FIRs against the four officers and a casual data entry operator. The two EROs are West Bengal Civil Service (executive) officers.

On Wednesday, Banerjee launched a scathing attack against the poll panel while addressing a rally in Jhargram.

“Government officers are being threatened. Yesterday two of my government officers were suspended. The state was directed to lodge FIR against them. Has the election been announced? Under which law are you (ECI) directing us? I won’t do this. I won’t punish them,” she had said.