Bengal CEO orders inquiry into voter with 'links' to Dhaka student unrest
The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal has directed the District Electoral Officer (DEO) and district magistrate of
South 24 Parganas
district to enquire and report on a person who is reportedly listed as a voter in South 24 Parganas district's Kakdwip but at the same time was allegedly involved in Bangladesh's students' movement last August.
"We have requested the concerned DEO and DM South 24 Parganas to enquire and report to us," WB-CEO Manoj Agarwal told ET.
Several photographs of the alleged person, identified as
Niutan Das
, participating in the 2024 quota reform protests in Bangladesh, which toppled the Hasina government in Bangladesh, have reportedly surfaced online, people in the know said. Das has claimed Indian citizenship and has documents, including a PAN card and Aadhaar card, to support his claim, sources said.
Das has claimed that he has Indian citizenship and had gone to Bangladesh and was caught during the protest. ET couldn't independently verify the authenticity of the photos, videos or the documents. "In 2024, I had to travel to Bangladesh in connection with our ancestral property and was caught up in the revolution there. I have been a voter in Kakdwip since 2014. Although I lost my voter card in 2017, I managed to get a new one in 2018 with help from local MLA Manturam Pakhira. I had cast my vote during the 2016 Bengal assembly elections," Niutan has claimed in a video message. He did not clarify if he resides in India or Bangladesh and if he is also a Bangladeshi citizen.
Conflicting statements have emerged with Niutan Das's cousin, Tapan, telling media persons that Niutan was "born in Bangladesh and exercises voting rights in both countries. He came to India after the pandemic to sell some ancestral land and has stayed here since."
A political slugfest began when a photograph of Niutan Das cutting a birthday cake in the presence of Trinamool's Sundarbans organisational district student wing president Debashis Das, came to the fore. Debasish clarified that he knew Niuton Das but had no idea that he was a Bangladeshi citizen. The authenticity of the video could not be ascertained by ET independently.
"The photo going around was taken at a birthday celebration. I urge the authorities to investigate," he added.
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