A farewell programme for the outgoing police superintendent of East Burdwan, Kamanasish Sen, on Wednesday evening sparked off a controversy after leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari posted a video in X (formerly Twitter) in which some policemen were seen pulling the vehicle carrying the IPS officer with ropes.

"Just look at the manner how he got to the venue (the venue of the farewell programme). His vehicle was being pulled by ropes in a similar fashion how Lord Jagannath's Chariot is pulled by devotees during Rath Yatra," Adhikari wrote on his official X handle accompanying the video clip.

"In place of devotees were the Civic Volunteers who receive a paltry salary of Rs. 9000/-; the Village Police personnel who haven't received any increment in the past 10 years and Constables who are being deprived of their fair share of 36% DA," the post added.

The 2.27-minute video clip, shared by Adhikari, also showed Sen standing on the vehicle decorated with balloons. A person was also seen showering flower petals on the SP while the vehicle was pulled along.

The 2014 batch IPS officer served for over two years as the police chief in East Burdwan. Opposition parties, especially the BJP, always accused Sen of being close to the ruling Trinamul.

"What does Kamanasish Sen think of himself? King of Purba Bardhaman district, who is now going to establish his kingdom in Hooghly district?" Adhikari wrote.

Sen, who has been transferred to Hooghly (rural) district, declined to comment on the political controversy over his farewell.

A source in East Burdwan police confirmed that the vehicle the SP boarded was physically pulled, but claimed that it was done so for only for a few metres as a mark of courtesy towards the officer leaving the district.

"Though the gesture of respect became a subject of politics, we, including our SP, do not see anything wrong with this," said a police officer close to Sen in East Burdwan.

It is a traditional decorum in the police service to organise a farewell event for any outgoing SP or commissioner by their colleagues but it is mostly a closed-door event.

Some senior IPS officers also expressed their shock with the contents of the video.

"There are so many ways to show respect to a senior police officer. I have never heard of or witnessed a farewell where policemen are physically pulling the car of their senior.... It is really shocking," said a senior IPS officer, who has been in service for at least 15 years, but chose to be anonymous.