Take action, EC warns DGP

Kolkata: Just weeks from retirement, Bengal DGP GMP Reddy perhaps wasn't prepared for a day like this.

First, the Election Commission brought forward his scheduled meeting from 2.30pm to 11.30am on Thursday. It was CEO Sunil Gupta, who made the call to him, requesting him to be there three hours before schedule.

Over the next few hours, Reddy and his subordinates — ADGs Anuj Sharma (law and order) and Ranveer Kumar (armed police) and IG-CRPF Vivek Sahay — sat fending tough questions from chief election commissioner Nasim Zaidi and election commissioners A K Jyoti and Om Prakash Rawat.

Reddy and his officers had little to show for action taken on the ground to stop the spate of pre-poll and post-poll violence. The complaints against them were far too many, and their answers failed to satisfy the commission, say sources.

The EC team specifically asked them why state police were seen inside polling booths and why central forces were being kept off route marches in sensitive zones.

At one point, the tough-talking Zaidi had to remind the DGP that he was now "under deputation with the EC and not under the caretaker state government". Speaking to reporters later Zaidi said, "I told DGP GMP Reddy that he is accountable for all the violence in the state. According to Section 28A of The Representation of People's Act 1951, the DGP or any other police officer is supposed to work under Election Commission".

Reddy, who retires soon after the counting is over in May 19, was a surprise pick by the Mamata Banerjee government in October 2013. Though a Bengal-cadre officer, he had spent much of his career with CBI. The soft-spoken, media shy officer — son of a Bellary farmer — always found himself dragged into controversies.

On Thursday, the EC was in an unsparing mood. Reddy has been asked to detail every incident of political violence, file FIRs, take action, make officers accountable for probes, and file detailed reports to the EC. The poll panel made it clear that it is ready to take some "very unpleasant measures" if officers don't fall in line.

Zaidi said, "There are reports of large-scale post-poll violence. Political parties and the civil society have alleged intimidation of voters, threats to poll agents and lack of visibility of central forces. We are concerned because we are getting reports that voters have been obstructed and is lack of neutrality among some administrative officials. There are allegations that some lower-level police officers entered booths during election.... People are our priority and they should be allowed to vote."

Zaidi said the additional presence of nearly 800 companies of central forces will ensure more visibility from the next phase. "Nearly 400 companies of additional central forces will be coming from Assam and I have asked all district magistrates and SPs to hold regular meetings with them so that there can be proper route marches and confidence-building exercises. All vulnerable areas must be covered," he added.