KOLKATA: The Election Commission of India issued an instruction to keep Anubrata Mondal, the controversial Trinamool Congress leader, and the party’s Birbhum district president, under the surveillance of a deputy magistrate and central armed police force from 5 pm on Tuesday till 7 am on April 30.
The Commission directed West Bengal’s chief electoral officer Sunil Gupta to keep the movement and election-related activities of Mondal under constant watch during the entire election period. Birbhum will go to the polls on April 29, the last phase.
In the instruction, the Commission said, "In view of serious complaints and feedback received from various sources and as per the report of the DEO and SP Birbhum, the Commission has directed that Shri Anubrata Mondal, District President of AITC, Birbhum, should be kept under the strict surveillance of Executive Magistrate and CAPF, round the clock from 5 pm of 27th April 2021 till 7 am of 30th April 2021 for ensuring free and fair elections."
Mondal was censured by the Commission on April 12 for making objectionable comments against a woman BJP candidate and was asked to be careful in the future.