Central Forces: Central forces in less than a fourth of state’s 61k+ booths | India News

KOLKATA: Missing central forces at poll booths across Bengal turned out to be a flashpoint on Saturday, triggering a war of words between the state poll panel and central officers but uniting warring parties in decrying their unavailability even as violence continued unabated and the body count kept rising.
Central forces could be deployed in less than a fourth of the 61,636 booths after 678 of the 822 companies requisitioned from the Centre reached the state ahead of polling.State election commissionerRajiva Sinha said their plans to deploy central force personnel in all booths had to be scaled down to about 15,000 due to the shortage. But central force coordinators claimed 59,000 personnel stationed in Bengal were not properly deployed.

Both TMC and BJP spoke up against the availability of central forces. Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar spoke to Union home minister Amit Shah and leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari emailed a contempt of court notice to IG, BSF Satish Chandra Budakoti, the force coordinator, for “deliberate and wilful violation” of a Calcutta High Court order by not deploying central forces in all polling booths.

TMC tweeted, “When violence strikes, it begs the question: Where were the Central Forces? …What good is their presence if… violence and bloodshed continue unabated?”
With the political heat rising and death figures climbing, IG Budakoti met SEC Sinha – the two had met several times in the past week – to once again work out a deployment plan. But Sinha was not happy with the outcome.
“The SEC had pleaded with the MHA on June 22 and again on June 25 for the remaining 485 companies of central forces but they were silent till July 3,” Sinha said, adding that the poll panel had planned central force deployment in all booths as instructed by the HC but could do so in only about 15,000 booths because of the shortage. “I met the IG of BSF, in the morning, who confirmed that all forces had been deployed,” Sinha said. This prompted Budakoti to shoot off a letter to the SEC blaming it for the lack of a deployment plan and inadequate support.

No logistic support to central forces: DIG
The State Election Commission (SEC) had provided no logistic support to the central forces to ease the deployment process, alleged SS Guleria, the DIG (PRO, Eastern Command).
“Not one death or major injury took place in booths where we were deployed,” Guleria said, adding, “The deployment began on the night of 4-5 July. From the beginning, we had asked the SEC to provide us with a list of sensitive booths. That way, we could have asked the respective forces to deboard at respective stations. That list has not reached us.”
Guleria claimed the SEC kept 2,713 central force personnel stationed at strong rooms on Saturday morning instead of deploying them at the booths.

In a letter to Union home minister Amit Shah, state BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar raised questions on the role of the security forces, alleging that they were merely “an audience”. “Very few booths enjoyed CAPF security while maximum booths were covered by police personnel and even civic volunteers, thus violating the orders of the Calcutta High Court. No clarification on deployment of CAPF was published by the SEC,” he alleged.
Senior minister Sashi Panja said, “BJP, CPM and Congress clamoured for central forces. Where is the deployment? Why have the central forces failed to protect citizens? So many TMC workers were murdered. Those who sought the deployment had said central forces were guardians of peace. But the guardians have failed.”