As panchayat elections inch closer in West Bengal, sources say the top levels of the government have instructed the police to keep a close watch on law and order and act against violators irrespective of political affiliation.
Sources told News18 that on Monday ADG (Law and Order) Javed Shamim and ADG (IB) Manoj Verma held a meeting via video-conferencing with commissioners and SPs in the state where they gave clear instructions that the force has to respond effectively to any law and order situation.
This year is politically crucial for West Bengal as the three-tier panchayat elections, perceived to be the curtain-raiser for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, are scheduled to be held in the coming months.
Violence had marred the 2018 West Bengal Panchayat elections in which CRPF men were killed in Nandigram, voters were injured in Cooch Behar, a TMC worker was killed in South 24 Parganas, CPI(M) worker and his wife were charred to death.
In the run-up to the 2018 panchayat polls, the BJP had alleged that many of its leaders could not file nominations due to the violence. Experts had even surmised that the BJP won 18 seats in West Bengal in 2019 due to the political perception of the panchayat poll violence the year before.
Sources also told News18 that the TMC has directed party workers at every level not to indulge in any violent behaviour.
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