The inspector in-charge, Subir Karmakar, attended the TMC’s ‘Bijaya Sammilani’ and ‘Sharad Samman’ programme at the Manikchak block community hall, on the invitation of party’s Manikchak block chief and MLA Savitri Mitra.

Seventy-eight Durga Puja committees were given ‘Sharad Samman’ on the occasion. Besides MLA Mitra, TMC’s Malda district president Abdur Rahim Bakshi, party youth wing’s district chief Biswajit Mondal and INTTUC’s district chief Subhankar Sanyal were also present.
The Opposition alleged that the IC was sitting as “chief guest” on the dais.

Debojyoti Singh, a CPIM leader, said, “We have repeatedly said that the police are not neutral. The Manikchak police station IC has only given a proof of that. The police have become a slave of the Trinamool.”

BJP general secretary, Malda South, Gauchandra Mandal said, “In Bengal, the police means the TMC. And Trinamool means police. They complement each other. Therefore, the presence of a police official on the TMC’s stage is not surprising. The IC went to the party function to please the Trinamool leaders.”

TMC district president Abdur Rahim, however, argued that the programme was not a party event. “Anyone can come to such an event. The Manikchak police station inspector in-charge did not do anything wrong,” he said.

When contacted, Karmakar did not comment on the development. Superintendent of Police Pradeep Kumar Yadav, however, said they are looking into the matter.