Kolkata: The Election Commission has issued a show cause notice to the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, once again seeking a wri...
Kolkata: The Election Commission has issued a show cause notice to the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, once again seeking a written explanation for her “attempt to berate and vilify the central forces by making false, provocative and intemperate statements”.
This is the second EC notice to the Trinamool Congress chief
in a week. Banerjee was issued
another notice earlier on Wednesday in which the EC directed her to submit a written clarification
explaining her open demand for
votes on communal grounds for her party in the ongoing state Assembly elections.
The new EC notice, which was issued on Thursday night, has
asked the chief minister to submit
her written explanation to the Election Commission before 11 a.m. on April 10 or else the “commission shall take a
decision without further reference
to you”.
In a two-page notice the EC has said that a report by the CEO
of West Bengal with an
authenticated transcript of the chief minister’s speech made
on March 28, said: “Who gave so
much power to them that the central police are threatening the women without allowing them to cast
their votes. I saw the same thing
in 2019 and earlier in 2016 as well”.
In another portion she said: “I know under whose instruction
they beat up and how they beat up,
It is your duty to save the family of the people. If any of your mothers and sisters suffer a single stroke with
a stick attack them. It is the right of the
women. And if anyone of our
mothers and sisters is denied entry in the voting compartment all of you come out and revolt.”
The EC also refers to a speech made by her in Cooch Behar on
April 7 where she said, “And if CAPF create
disturbances, I will tell you,
ladies and group of you go and restrain (gherao) them which another group will go to cast their votes. If you
engage yourself only in
restraining them then they will be happy that you didn’t cast your
vote. It is their plan. It is the plan of BJP.
And your plan will be that you
will not be scared if they try to intimidate you coming to your village on the one hand, and on the other you
just talk to them. Talking to them
will tantamount to restraining them.”
The commission in its notice pointed out that “going by the
statements, and the historicity of
the subsequent statements, it is more than obvious that Banerjee has been consisting in berating
and demoralising the Central Para
Military Forces who often played a significant role in assisting the state government concerned. Banerjee
has been trying to make an
emotional pitch for women voters to go to the extent of inciting them to attack the personnel of CPFs”.
The Election
Commission is prima facie convinced that your statements are in violation of Model Code of Conduct as well as
sections of 186, 189 and 505 of
Indian Penal Code 1860, the notice said.
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