Kolkata, April 18: State’s Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal on Saturday once again reminded police officers in a virtual meeting that unrest on the day of voting will not be tolerated in any form. If any untoward incident occurs on the day of voting, immediate action will be required. The Election Commission also warned that Officers in Charge can be suspended if there is any negligence in controlling the situation.
CEO Manoj Agarwal said that if any weapons, bombs, or bullets are recovered in any area on the day of voting, the Officers in Charge of the concerned police station will have to take action. Otherwise, the Commission will take strict action. The CEO also asked why those accused of creating unrest during the last Assembly election have not been arrested so far.
He ordered the police to identify the criminals in the districts. Those who already have cases of violence against them should be kept in mind so that they do not spread unrest again in this election, the CEO said. It is worth mentioning that the Election Commission is strict on conducting free and fair elections this time. The first phase of voting in the state is on April 23. Only five days are left.
In this atmosphere, the Commission held a virtual meeting to provide the police with detailed instructions for the first phase of the elections. In a virtual meeting with the Superintendents of Police and Commissioners of Police from 16 districts on Saturday, Manoj Agarwal said that the police must play an important role in preventing any unrest during elections.
Incidentally, the Commission has assigned more than 40,000 state police to monitor the first phase of voting. According to sources, the Commission’s CCTV cameras will keep a close watch on every booth to ensure peaceful voting. Saturday’s meeting was held to clarify those instructions. The Superintendents of Police and Commissioners of Police of the concerned districts attended the Commission’s virtual meeting. Police observers appointed by the Commission were also present.
IANS
