Centre refuses to provide security for Bengal poll

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court has asked the federal Home ministry to inform the court about its views on sending paramilitary forces for the upcoming Panchayat (village council) election in West Bengal. While hearing a new case filed by the State Election Commission (SEC), the court has asked the central government to clarify its stand by June 24. The 3-phase-poll is scheduled to start on July 2.

In between, federal home ministry has completely ruled out sparing Central Reserve Police Forces (CRPF) for the panchayat polls in Bengal, with a senior functionary insisting that there could not be any paramilitary deployment for local body elections. “Central forces are sent for state and parliament elections. We do not send paramilitary for local polls to any state. These have to be managed by the state police only,” said an official.

“We do not have any additional forces to spare considering the uprising of Maoist activities in various states, Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir, Telangana and other emergency duties. Even the forces that were deployed for the recent parliamentary bypoll in West Bengal were taken from the reserve forces, which is basically personnel on rest after continuous operation,” the official added. The state government and the SEC had been at war over deployment of CPRF, as the latter believes that only CRPF can help them conduct a free and fair election.

The state government had earlier written to the home ministry asking for 300 companies of CRPF and other states for armed forces, as by court order there is a need for 95,000 armed officers for the first-phase alone.