 Summary of this article
- The petition claims Sharma acted beyond his role by threatening candidates and influencing the electoral process.
- His appointment by the Election Commission has sparked a political clash between the BJP and Trinamool Congress.
- TMC supporters protested in Falta, while officials said Sharma was acting on complaints of voter intimidation.
A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking the ‘urgent’ removal of IPS officer Ajay Pal Sharma as police observer for South 24 Parganas in poll-bound West Bengal. The petition alleges that Sharma is “highly partisan” and acting beyond his prescribed role.
According to the petition, Sharma engaged in intimidation, undue influence and partisan behaviour after taking charge, including allegedly threatening political candidates.
Sharma gained a reputation as an “encounter specialist” during several major security operations while posted in Uttar Pradesh.
His deployment by the Election Commission has triggered a fresh political row between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The BJP and the Election Commission said Sharma was appointed to help ensure free and fair polling. However, the TMC and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP of trying to influence the election by deploying officials to intimidate voters. |
