A Public spat between a senior police officer and an MLA in West Bengal has snowballed into a major controversy with the Congress baying for the cops blood and senior IPS and IAS officers defending him. Deepankar Bhattacharya,SP of North Dinajpur district,allegedly threatened the Congress MLA from Raigunj,Mohit Sengupta,and asked people to isolate such leaders from society after the latter publicly rebuked the police. The spat has sent ripples across the states administrative and political circles with West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) president Pradip Bhattacharya meeting Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh on Wednesday and demanding strong punishment against the official. The row started on October 9 when Sengupta,who is also chairman of the Raigunj municipality,called up Bhattacharya who took charge of the district on August 26 on his mobile phone to inform him about an murder. The police official,who had already taken action on the matter,could not receive the call as he was allegedly participating in a puja programme (beating drums). He later called back and told the MLA about the action taken. Two days later,at a function to distribute prizes among Durga Puja organisers in Raigunj,the MLA,in the presence of the SP,allegedly gave vent to his anger. He said the police did not change while a change of guard had taken place at Writers Buildings. At Raigunj,the police was nowhere to be seen during the pujas. The SP does not take your phone calls,the law and order situation is horrible but the police is listless, the MLA said in public. No sooner did the MLA finish his speech,the SP snatched the microphone and asked him to withdraw his remarks. Police is doing its role properly. You cannot criticise the police in front of the leader of the force. I hate politics, the SP said,stomping his foot on the dais. Talking to The Indian Express over the phone later,the official,who was earlier Commanding Officer of India Reserve Battalion 2 based in Siliguri,slammed the MLA. I am not a policeman who will genuflect before political power. I have won the hearts of the people here and that is why he is so peeved. My people are very much agitated that their leader was insulted in public for no fault of theirs. The police did their duty very well and the crime record of the district will vouch for that. I can give you respect and not my self-respect and stand with folded hands, said Bhattacharya. Sengupta on his part said he would take up the matter with the chief minister. After the incident,the SP met the local media and told them that leaders like me should be banished. If he wants to do politics he should shed his uniform. He insulted me in front of everyone. During the pujas,he used to play dhak at various puja pandals. We will see to it that he is punished, Sengupta told The Indian Express from Raigunj. Senior IAS and IPS officials this reporter talked to defended Bhattacharya. I know him very well,He was an upright officer. He was chosen by the former ADG (security),A K Maliwal,to work with him. There have been several occasions when politicians ride the roughshod over police and administration officials and get away with it. But Bhattacharya took on the politician and he deserves kudos, a senior IAS official in the Home Department said.
