Bishnupur (West Bengal) [India], May 27 (ANI): Urging the intervention of the Election Commission of India, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Saumitra Khan on Monday wrote a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar alleging that a strongroom has been breached in Bishnupur Constituency, adding that local police might be involved in the tampering of Electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Highlighting his concerns in a letter to CEC Rajiv Kumar, Saumitra Khan who represents Bishnupur Lok Sabha since 2014, claimed that state police officials were present in the innermost perimeter of the strongroom which is in contravention to the rules of the poll body as only CAPF personnel are allowed there.
“As per the ECI guidelines “Inner most perimeter shall be guarded by CAPF and outer perimeter by State Armed Police. For this purpose, a minimum one platoon CAPF for 24X7 security shall be provided to guard the strong room round the clock. To our utmost surprise we have seen Additional SP Masud Hassan and the Local IC Atanu Santra are going inside the inner most perimeter for security purposes. My question is to how they were given access to enter the Inner most perimeter?” the letter mentioned.
He further said that Central Force Incharge AK Saha was also not present at the premises and the “main gates of entry to the Strong Room Building premises were kept open without any security deployment”
“People were entering the premises without any proper check. Vehicle are entering the premises freely,” he wrote.
He also alleged that CCTV footage at the strong room is being tampered by the local police.
“They are also trying to get access to the already installed CCTVs so that they can manipulate the CCTV coverage and captured CCTV data,” the letter read.
“This gives us a strong reason to believe that the local police and administration with try to manipulate the CCTV coverage and create few blind spots to enter the strong room and replace the polled EVMs with identical EVMs with false polled data,” Khan wrote.
Saumitra Khan demanded that additional forces be deployed to ensure proper security.
After voting gets concluded, the electronic voting machines (along with VVPATs) are kept in designated strongroom.
“Further a system should be developed that no one can enter the entire premises without an appropriate ID card and specific purpose. I would also request you to take serious action against the officers involved,” he wrote.
BJP leader Saumitra Khan is a two-time MP from Bishnupur. TMC fielded Sujata Mondal who is the former wife of Saumitra Khan.
The polling for 42 seats of West Bengal is being held across all seven phases. The counting of votes is scheduled for June 4. (ANI)
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