‘Will thrash them like dogs’: BJP candidate Bharati Ghosh threatens TMC workers, Mamata hits back

PTI, May 5, 2019, 9:29 AM IST

Kolkata: BJP Lok Sabha candidate Bharati Ghosh on Saturday courted controversy by threatening TMC workers to bring musclemen from Uttar Pradesh and kill them like a dog if they dared to act smart.

Ghosh, a former IPS officer who was once close to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, said this while campaigning at Ghatal constituency shortly after the Trinamool Congress supremo warned her not to cross the limit of decency.

Senior TMC leader Partha Chatterjee said in Kolkata that the party will move the EC to complaint against Ghosh, who was once the superintendent of police in West Midnapore district in which Ghatal falls, for this comment.

The Election Commission sought a report from the district administration after taking suo motu cognizance of the incident, officials said in Kolkata.

Shortly before this incident, the chief minister warned Ghosh, without naming her, not to cross the limit of decency, otherwise she will be arrested.

Ghosh was accused of abusing police personnel and rival party workers earlier also. “The BJP has nominated two candidates here – one man and a woman. The woman is accused of money laundering. Both of them are abusing our candidates.

I will tell her not to force me to open my mouth. If I share the texts you (Bharati) had sent me while you were in the police service, I will not have to tell people anything more,” Banerjee said during a road show in Ghatal in West Midnapore district.

“We could have lodged cases against you (Bharati) If we wanted to get you arrested. There is a Supreme Court order in one case that you cannot be arrested.

But There are several other cases against you. Despite that we have not done anything and let you contest the poll because we have not forgotten deceny. Do not talk anything which crosses the limit of decency,” she said.

When contacted, TMC’s Ghatal candidate Dev said, “I do not understand what to say. I think people should not forget decency. I had huge respect for Bharati-di, but after this incident I think that will be affected. I think the people of Ghatal will give a befitting reply to this.”

Earlier, Banerjee conducted a road show in West Midnapore urging people not to cast their votes for BJP candidates and save the country.

Ghosh joined the BJP in February 4 and was nominated for Ghatal seat which will go to polls on May 12.

She was the West Midnapore SP for more than six years. The officer was transferred as commandant of the third battalion of the state armed police, considered a less
important post, on December 26, 2017 and she resigned from service two days later.

Winner of a service medal on August 15, 2014, Ghosh was transferred by the Election Commission before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. She was, however, reinstated as West Midnapore SP as soon as the elections got over.

An arrest warrant was issued against Ghosh in February, 2018 in connection with an extortion case registered at Daspur police station in West Midnapore district, following her resignation.