Sainthia, April 9: The Trinamul Congress has lodged a complaint against a BJP civic poll candidate for distributing calendars with the picture of a deity, which violates the model code of conduct that bars the use of religious images on campaign materials.
Trinamul has lodged the complaint against Sushanta Roy, the BJP candidate for ward 8 of Sainthia municipality, with police and the sub-divisional officer (SDO).
The police have seized over 100 such calendars.
The picture of the deity is that of goddess Nandikeshwari.
Arundhati Bhoumik, the SDO of Suri, said according to the model code of conduct, "candidates can publish calendars with party symbols and photographs of nominees but cannot use pictures of any religious deity".
The BJP has lodged a counter-complaint with the police, accusing Trinamul activists of beating up a party worker who was distributing the calendars.
A Trinamul leader alleged that a cousin of BJP candidate Roy had been distributing the calendars among voters in Sarada Pally, Sainthia, last evening.
In the police complaint lodged by Trinamul, the party has also accused Roy of distributing money among voters.
A police officer said: "We have seized around 100 calendars from BJP workers but did not find any money after searching their pockets."
Roy, a primary school teacher, conceded that calendars with the picture of the deity had been distributed but denied having offered money to voters.
"My cousin was distributing calendars but not money. Trinamul workers beat him up when he was campaigning in the ward," Roy said.
Asked why he distributed the calendars among voters, Roy said: "Trinamul workers are tearing up our posters and banners. So I decided to campaign with calendars."