The Election Commission on Thursday asked the Murshidabad district election officer (DEO) to lodge an FIR against Trinamool Congress MLA Manirul Islam for his alleged role in the vandalism of the SIR hearing centre at Farakka and the manhandling of the electoral registration officer on January 14.
Although the DEO was asked to send a compliance report by 5pm on Thursday, no FIR had been filed.
"I have not received any instruction to lodge any FIR so far," Junaid Ahmad, the Farakka block development officer (BDO), said on Thursday evening.
Sources on the poll panel said that usually, the EC gave some additional time to the state administration to comply with the order before taking further action. "If it is not done within the next 24 hours, then the EC could initiate its next move," said a source.
The trouble broke out on January 14 when a mob allegedly led by the Farakka MLA stormed into the hearing centre in the BDO office in Farakka and ransacked the hearing centre, damaging furniture and documents related to the SIR.
The BDO lodged a complaint with the Farakka police station on the same day against unknown goons. The police arrested six workers of the ruling party and they were later sent to six days' judicial custody by the Jangipur ACJM court.
The police had arrested the Trinamool workers after going through the video footage of the incident, but did not take any action against the MLA even though he had allegedly led the agitation.
On Wednesday, the six arrested persons were granted bail and were given a reception by Trinamool leaders when they came out of the Jangipur subdivisional correctional home. Kausar Ali, Trinamool leader and elder brother of MLA Manirul, garlanded the six.
Broken furniture and documents lie scattered at the BDO's office at Farakka on January 14
The EC purportedly took note of the reception and asked the DEO to lodge an FIR against the MLA.
The Congress, however, termed the action taken by the poll panel as an attempt to mislead people.
"If the EC wanted to make the MLA learn a lesson, it could have asked the DEO to lodge the FIR before other accused persons were granted bail. Now, the MLA would not have to spend even a day in jail as all his co-accused have been granted bail. This makes it clear that the BJP and the Trinamool Congress have a political understanding or setting in Bengal," said Hasanujjaman, Congress spokesperson.
A section of the officials said that the EC was clearly mounting pressure on the state administration by asking the DEO to lodge an FIR against the MLA.
"He might not have to spend a night in jail, but it would be difficult for him to get bail easily if he committed the same crime next time. So, the FIR against the MLA would force him and other leaders to think twice before ransacking hearing centres," said a bureaucrat.
Manirul told The Telegraph that he was not aware that the EC had asked the administration to lodge an FIR against him. So I won't talk about this right at this moment," added the MLA.