Kolkata, April 6 (IANS) Kolkata Police on Monday evening sent a notice for interrogation to Trinamool Congress MLA Ratna Chatterjee, who is the party’s candidate this time as well, over an incident of vandalism at a local office of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Behala (Paschim) Assembly constituency in the southern outskirts of Kolkata.​

Earlier in the day, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against her at the local Parnasree Police Station under Behala (Paschim) Assembly constituency following a complaint filed by the BJP on this count.​

The FIR was registered following the instructions of the Election Commission of India (ECI), which is now in charge of the general and police administration in West Bengal, with the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in force amid the crucial two‑phase Assembly polls in the state later this month.​

The West Bengal unit of the BJP had earlier complained to the ECI that a group of Trinamool Congress supporters led by Chatterjee launched an unprovoked attack at a local BJP office within Behala (Paschim) on Sunday night, following which acute tension prevailed in the area till early Monday morning.​

There were scuffles between BJP and Trinamool Congress supporters during the incident. The BJP candidate from Behala (Paschim) Assembly constituency, Indranil Khan, was also present at the spot then. ​

Later, under his leadership, the BJP’s supporters also staged protests outside the local Parnasree Police Station and filed a formal complaint against Chatterjee.​

BJP also brought the matter to the notice of the Chief Electoral Officer’s office and the Commission, following which an FIR was first lodged against Chatterjee as per the ECI’s instructions, and subsequently she was served with a notice for interrogation.​

Although Chatterjee is the outgoing Trinamool Congress legislator from the adjacent Behala (Purba) constituency, this time the party nominated her from Behala (Paschim), where the erstwhile five‑time party legislator was former West Bengal Education Minister and former Trinamool Congress Secretary General Partha Chatterjee.​

This time, Trinamool Congress denied him re‑nomination because of his involvement in the multi‑crore cash‑for‑school‑job case, for which he was behind bars for over three years and is currently out on bail.​

–IANS

src/dan