KOLKATA: West Bengal LoP and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari made a scathing attack on the TMC government and DGP Rajeev Kumar after the ECI on Saturday sought an Action Taken Report from the DGP over the mob attack on the car of Special Electoral Roll Observer (SERO) C Murugan.
He was appointed by the Commission as SERO in the South 24 Parganas district.
The ECI flagged serious security lapses in connection with the incident. The IAS officer of the 2005 batch was allegedly gheraoed, and his vehicle was badly damaged during his visit to the hearings centres regarding the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise at Magrahat area in Diamond Harbour on December 29.
In a post on X handle, Suvendu alleged that the incident was a 'TMC-orchestrated mob attack' and termed the security failure a 'shameful display of law and order' under the current Trinamool Congress-ruled administration in Bengal.
“The ECI calls it serious lapses, we call it treason against democracy,” the senior BJP leader stated. He claimed that the police administration was suffering from political compulsions.
The Opposition leader also claimed that he had provided the police with crystal clear footage identifying those involved in the incident, whom he described as master conspirators of the mob attack in Magrahat and Kulpi areas.
He also described the ECI's intervention as a stinging wake-up call for the state’s top cop.
“Will you finally grow a spine, file FIRs, and haul these TMC thugs to justice? Time to choose: Serve the Constitution or keep serving the syndicate?" he questioned Rajeev.
Expressing serious concern over the incident, the ECI secretary Sujeet Kumar Mishra has written a letter to DGP Rajeev Kumar and sent copies to the state chief secretary Nandini Chakraborty and Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal.
“The Commission has carefully examined the aforesaid reports and noticed that despite advanced intimation of the tour programme to the sub-Divisional Officer and Superintendent of Police, adequate security arrangements were not made. The Electoral Roll Observer was compelled to move through sensitive areas without proper police protection," Sujeet stated in his letter.
"Further, it has also been noticed that incidents like sloganeering, mob gathering, obstruction of official work and damage to the Observer’s vehicle have been reported. Further, an FIR has been filed on 29.12.25 against 30-40 unknown, unruly and agitated persons, that too after repeated efforts. These incidents reflect serious lapses on the part of the police administration,” Sujeet added.
The Commission was prompted to seek ATR from the DGP after Murugan submitted a detailed report on the incidents, including the attack on his vehicle during his visit to SIR hearings camps in Magrahat I and Magrahat II, and Kulpi Block of Diamond Harbour sub-division.
“The commission has viewed these lapses seriously and directs you to furnish an Action Taken Report (ATR) on the said incidents, including details of police action taken, follow-up measures and steps initiated to fix the responsibility, at the latest by Tuesday, 06.01.2026 by 5 PM, to the Commission,” according to the letter of the ECI secretary.
Notably, Abhishek Banerjee, national general secretary of Trinamool Congress, is an MP from Diamond Harbour constituency.