On Election Commission advice, Bengal keeps security adviser ‘in abeyance’ during polls

The West Bengal government Wednesday issued an order keeping state security adviser and former IPS officer Surajit Kar Purkayastha’s powers “in abeyance” during the Assembly elections that begin on March 27. The decision was based on the advice of the Election Commision.

The government decided on the matter following a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and Election Commissioners Sushil Chandra and Rajib Kumar on Tuesday. In a meeting with Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay and police chief P Nirajnayan on Tuesday, the Commission is learned to have advised them to remove Purkayastha since his post is a novel one and concentrates a lot of power related to security in one person’s hands.

“His proximity to the incumbent Chief Minister is well known and as the state security officer, he wields a lot of influence over the state police and intelligence, among others,” said an EC official who did not wish to be identified.