Did the Bengal LoP Accuse CEC of Politicizing an Event?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Suvendu Adhikari addresses serious allegations.
- Claims of politicization of state events.
- Concerns about neutrality before elections.
- Calls for an investigation into police activities.
- Potential implications for the Trinamool Congress.
Kolkata, Nov 25 (NationPress) The Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari, reached out to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Tuesday, requesting immediate attention regarding what he termed the “politicization” of a formal state police event by the ruling Trinamool Congress.
In his correspondence, Adhikari accused the West Bengal Police Welfare Committee of transforming the “Second State Conference of Women Police Personnel”, held on November 22, 2025, at Digha, East Midnapore district, into a blatant political rally featuring active participation from serving police personnel, state cabinet members, TMC legislators, and leaders of the ruling party.
He asserted that the execution of the event was a clear breach of the standards of neutrality and impartiality.
“The West Bengal Police Welfare Committee, rather than being an autonomous entity focused on the welfare of police staff, has exposed itself as a front organization for TMC-aligned police officers, shamefully promoting the agenda of the ruling party,” Adhikari stated in his letter to the CEC.
Adhikari highlighted that during the event, an inspector by the name of Bijitaswa Routh, who also serves as the convener of the West Bengal Police Welfare Committee, directed a personal attack against the Leader of the Opposition.
“He ridiculed me concerning the political endeavors of the Welfare Committee and proclaimed, with unrestrained arrogance, that the ‘fight has begun’ and will persist until May 2026, aiming to ‘reinstate Mamata Banerjee as Chief Minister for the fourth time’, the letter elaborated.
“Shri Shantanu Sinha Biswas (DCP Kolkata Police) went further, stating that the Police Force owes gratitude to their ‘Guardian’ Mamata Banerjee and encouraged his colleagues to repay their debts during the elections. He referred to the Chief Minister as ‘the future leader of India’, asserting that in the days ahead, all their demands and challenges would be resolved with Mamata Banerjee's support,” the letter added.
Adhikari also expressed concerns about the potential impact on the neutrality and impartiality that the state police should uphold during the vital assembly elections in West Bengal scheduled for the following year.
In the concluding remarks of his extensive letter, the Leader of the Opposition urged the CEC to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the activities of the West Bengal Police Welfare Committee, scrutinizing its ties to the Trinamool Congress, the involvement of active officers in political events, their participation in electoral fraud, manipulation of voter data, and the commandeering of facilitation centers.