Mamata accuses CEC of 'threatening' Bengal govt officers at review meeting

Kolkata, Mar 9 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of threatening state officials during a meeting, and warned that “false bravado” by constitutional authorities was not acceptable.

Her remarks came against the backdrop of the Election Commission’s full bench meeting with senior administrative and police officials of the state earlier in the day, to review preparedness for the West Bengal assembly elections likely to be held in April.

Speaking from the site of her dharna in Kolkata against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Banerjee alleged that the CEC had adopted a threatening tone towards the state bureaucracy.

“The CEC threatened our officers today at the meeting. I want to tell the CEC that having courage is good, but false bravado is not good,” she asserted.

According to officials, Kumar said during the meeting that any lapse in maintaining law and order before the elections would not be tolerated, and strict action would follow if responsibilities were not discharged properly. PTI PNT RBT