‘Replace Ashoka Stambh with…’: TMC seeks Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar’s apology for ‘insulting’ emblem

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) wrote to the Election Commission of India on Saturday, accusing West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Sukanta Majumdar of "insulting state emblem of India and the state police". Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's party said the statement was made during an election rally in poll-bound Taldangra.

"It has come to our notice that on 07.11.2024, Shri Sukanta Majumdar who is the BJP State President in West Bengal, delivered a false, derogatory and defamatory speech during an election rally in poll- bound Taldangra," the TMC said in a letter to the Election Commission.

The TMC alleged that Sukanta Majumdar "insulted" the State Emblem of India and the State Police "by stating that police personnel should replace the Emblem on their uniforms with icons resembling footwear".

Majumdar was quoted in the letter as saying, "Don't act as an agent of Trinamool. Remove the Ashoka Stambh on your uniform and replace it with the symbol of a sandal. Don't hide behind the uniform."

The TMC said the “inflammatory statement not only malign the state police but also constitute a grave insult to the sanctity of the Ashoka Stambh, our revered State Emblem, by suggesting its removal in a derogatory context.”

The TMC said these remarks were "devoid of any factual basis" and "are clearly aimed at undermining the credibility of the State Police who are discharging their duties with utmost dedication to maintain law and order during the elections."

"This constitutes a deliberate attempt to mislead the public, malign a neutral law enforcement agency, and create an atmosphere of distrust and hostility," the TMC alleged in the letter to the Election Commission.

Banerjee's political party further alleged that the BJP's "politically motivated propaganda" violated the spirit of free and fair elections. "By spreading false and malicious allegations, it seeks to unduly influence voters, which may be considered a corrupt practice under the extant provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951," the TMC said.

TMC demands action against

The party demanded the Election Commission to take action against Sukanta Majumdar. "Issue appropriate direction(s)/order(s) to penalize Shri Sukanta Majumdar for attempting to malign the credibility of the State Police and to cause a grave insult to the sanctity of the Ashoka Stambh," the TMC said.

The TMC also sought Majumdar's unconditional apology "for insulting the State Emblem of India in furtherance of his oblique political agendas."