A sharp political confrontation unfolded during the assembly by-election in Rejinagar, West Bengal, following the casting of ballots. Aam Janta Unnayan Party (AJUP) chief and MLA Humayun Kabir cast his vote in the constituency and immediately leveled serious allegations against the local police apparatus. Shortly after making these critical remarks outside the polling premises, law enforcement officials took him into custody and transported him to the Rejinagar police station.
Allegations of Disruption at Polling Booths
Addressing the situation right after voting, Humayun Kabir publicly criticized the conduct of security personnel deployed for the election. He alleged that irregularities were emerging and that police officers were directly interfering with the voting process across multiple booths. Kabir stated that while the constitutional and democratic duty of the police is to protect citizens, they were instead meddling in the electoral process. He questioned the need for such interference, noting that an established government was already in place.
Reference to Previous Polls and Detentions
Kabir contrasted the current situation with earlier polling, observing that elections held on April 23 were peaceful without allegations of disruption. However, he claimed that for the past 2 months, police forces had engaged in excesses and assaults against people in the area. According to him, authorities had already detained 64 individuals and yet continued aggressive operations. After insisting that the police pull back, Kabir was taken into custody by personnel and escorted directly to the Rejinagar police station.
