Kolkata, March 27 (NationPress) Saikat Chatterjee, a polling officer in West Bengal ahead of the upcoming elections and a teacher at a government school, was reportedly assaulted by several individuals after he voiced his objections against the display of a supposed Trinamool Congress campaign video during a training session for polling officials at Ranaghat in Nadia district on Friday afternoon.

The confrontation occurred at the Ranaghat Debnath Institute for Boys School, where a training program for electoral staff was underway.

Following the incident, Chatterjee, who had visible injuries and blood on his face, recounted to journalists that during the training, videos featuring West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and images of the Jagannath Temple in Digha, East Midnapore district were shown.

“I raised my concerns, stating that this was a clear breach of the Model Code of Conduct. In response, a young man present reacted aggressively. When I requested to see his identification, he and his companions attacked me violently. I later discovered that they were affiliated with the local block development office, which was present during my assault,” Chatterjee stated to the press.

The local Block Development Officer (BDO), Sayntan Basu, acknowledged that an argument occurred but refuted Chatterjee's claims of being assaulted. “He had a disagreement with some of our staff. The situation was settled, and the training resumed. The argument may have escalated. It was with our personnel,” Basu claimed.

Polling staff demonstrated outside the training center in the wake of the incident, questioning how a polling officer could be subjected to such violence. Police later intervened to restore order.

BJP Lok Sabha member from the Ranaghat constituency, Jagannath Sarkar, condemned the Trinamool Congress regarding the event. “The Trinamool Congress has fostered a climate of fear across the state. Both administrative and police officials are acting as agents of the Trinamool Congress. This incident is a testament to that,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has taken the situation seriously and has requested an immediate report from the state’s Director General of Police, the District Magistrate, the Superintendent of Police, and the Sub-Divisional Officer involved.

“Actions may be initiated against the officer in charge of the relevant police station. In addition to filing an FIR, directives have been issued for the immediate arrest of those implicated in the incident,” a source from the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal revealed.

At this time, there has been no official response from the Trinamool Congress regarding the incident.