From Cash-For-Posting To ‘Thok Do’ Cop: TMC Mounts Fierce Attack On Election Observer

Kolkata: A massive political storm has erupted in the ongoing West Bengal Assembly elections after a viral video purportedly showed Uttar Pradesh-cadre IPS officer Ajaypal Sharma allegedly threatening the family of a Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate.

Sharma, appointed by the Election Commission (EC) as the Police Observer for the Diamond Harbour police district in South 24 Parganas, was seen standing outside TMC candidate Jahangir Khan’s residence in Falta.

Accompanied by central armed forces, the cop allegedly warned the surrounding crowd, stating, “Understand this clearly, if anyone tries to create mischief, we will take good care of them. Tell his family not to cry later for what he is doing.”

Hitting back at the alleged intimidation, a defiant Jahangir Khan retorted, “I am addressing public meetings with 5,000 people. I am not a little boy to be scared. He is just delivering dialogues to impress, but it won’t work here.”

The incident prompted the TMC to launch a scathing attack on the EC for deploying Sharma. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the ruling party branded the cop as UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s favourite “encounter specialist,” known for his “trigger-happy, thok do (shoot them) attitude.”

Digging up his past, the TMC accused Sharma of having a deeply tainted track record. The party highlighted his alleged involvement in a 2020 “cash-for-posting” scandal during his tenure as the Rampur SP, which eventually led to a vigilance probe. Furthermore, the TMC pointed out past criminal charges levelled against him by a woman, alleging criminal breach of trust, destroying evidence, and deceit.

Questioning the EC’s impartiality, the TMC tweeted, “Evidently, a corrupt and criminal track record has now become the core qualification for this job.”