Trinamool Congress today alleged that a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) “supporter”, Vivek Sonkar, was seen with the party’s West Bengal chief Dilip Ghosh in various booths wearing CRPF uniform.
“Is the person sitting beside you in CRPF uniform, Mr @DilipGhoshBJP , a #BJP supporter? Isn’t his name Vivek Sonkar who was seen with you in different booths? So is this the new strategy using BJP karyakartas dressed in camouflage to threaten the voters and distribute cash for votes”: this was tweeted by Diptansu Chaudhury, joint convener, social media and digital communication, All India Trinamool Congress.
Chaudhury has posted two photographs – showing the BJP’s Bengal chief Dilip Ghosh with a few people sitting in front of him, listening to him. Two security personnel with firearms are seen standing behind. Another person is sitting on Ghosh’s left – also in camouflage clothes – listening intently. This person has been shown highlighted in Chaudhury’s post on Twitter, and identified as Vivek Sonkar.
In another photograph, the person claimed to be Vivek Sonkar, is seen walking, in camouflage clothes with several people behind him. It is not clear who are following him – whether or not they are BJP party workers. However, one of these men has his head covered with a saffron cloth, and some others too are seen carrying saffron cloths thrown around their shoulders. One person is seen in saffron kurta and a similar coloured flag is seen in the background.
Dilip Ghosh was not available for comment but a BJP spokesperson confirmed that the person referred to was indeed Sonkar. However, he said that Sonkar was “not wearing CRPF uniform”. “He was wearing clothes with camouflage print that is available in the market,” the BJP spokesperson said.
Vivek Sonkar’s profile on Twitter describes him as National Vice President Bharatiya Janata Party Scheduled Caste Morcha and Central Observer: Bihar and Kashi Kshetra (UP). The photograph below is from his Twitter account and looks like the person sitting with Dilip Ghosh in the picture above.
According to a Trinamool Congress insider, “It is highly objectionable for party workers to wear camouflage clothes to give the impression to people that they are part of the Central force. We will take it up with the Election Commission.”
[Cover image tweeted by Diptansu Chaudhury, joint convener, social media and digital communication, All India Trinamool Congress]
