Mamata barred from canvassing for 24 hrs
NEW DELHI/KOLKATA: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday banned West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee from campaigning for 24 hours for violating the model code of conduct and the 1951 Representation of the People Act with her speeches, prompting fierce protests by the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
The allegations against Banerjee were that, on April 7, she appealed to Muslim voters to unite and not split their vote; and on April 8, she criticised central forces and urged people to surround them if they create disturbances. The ban came into force at 8pm on April 12 and will be lifted on April 13 at the same time. The fifth round of the state’s eight-phase polls is on April 17, and the silent period kicks in 72 hours earlier, in the constituencies going to polls.
“Ms. Mamata Banerjee…has in violation of the provisions of model code of conduct as well as section 123(3) & (3A) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and sections 186, 189 and 505 of Indian Penal Code, 1860 made highly insinuating and provocative remarks laden with serious potential of breakdown of law & order and thereby adversely affecting the election process,” the commission said in its order.
“The commission hereby condemns such statements portent with serious law & order problems across the state(s) and sternly warns Ms. Mamata Banerjee and advises her to desist from using such statements while making public utterances…,” the order added.
KOLKATA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee blamed each other on Monday for the deaths of four people during polling after central forces opened fire, allegedly in self-defence, in north Bengal’s Cooch Behar district last week.
At a rally in Kalyani town, Modi accused Banerjee of instigating local people against paramilitary forces on election duty in the state.
“It is being openly said that TMC [Trinamool Congress] workers will gherao central forces and didi’s remaining supporters would cast false votes… In the last 10 years, Mamata Banerjee has conspired to deny the scheduled castes, the poor and the deprived sections their rights through ‘chappa vote’ (rigging). What happened in Cooch Behar was the consequence of this conspiracy,” the PM said.
Hours later, Banerjee hit back alleged the “plan” was hatched by Union home minister Amit Shah and Modi knew about it. “I have all the names of those who opened fire. I have all details. I still believe that Amit Shah planned the entire thing, and the PM knew about it.” “The Narendra Modi government has shot dead four persons. Modi gave them a clean chit. India has not seen such a Prime Minister,” Banerjee said at a rally in North 24 Parganas.
Union home minister Amit Shah dismissed the allegations and alleged that Banerjee instigated local people to snatch the guns of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.
Addressing a public meeting in Dhupguri, Shah said, “The fourth phase polls were held in North Bengal. Didi instigated people and told them to gherao CRPF and loot them. People listened to her, weapons were snatched, bullets were fired and four people died. Didi had you not instigated them, they would not have died.”
The exchange came amid heightened tensions in the state after the death of four villagers during voting on Saturday in Coochbehar. The central forces and ECI said the forces fired in selfdefence after being surrounded by an armed crowd, but TMC and the villagers accuse the security perand sonnel of opening fire without provocation.
Referring to the recent incident of lynching of a Bihar police officer in West Bengal and the death of his mother from shock, Modi said Banerjee’s government did not respect anyone anymore, “not even mothers”.
“Didi, is that officer’s mother not a mother for you? No mother in Bengal knew how cruel and ruthless you are,” Modi said.
Banerjee denied the charges and hit back at the BJP. At a rally in Dum Dum, she said if elected back to power, she will introduce a bill in the state assembly to ban politicians who make inflammatory remarks on firing and shooting.
“The BJP has no shame. After killing four people, they are saying that four more rounds should have been fired. Is this how a political party speaks? We, in politics, should have a control over a tongue. What kind of a country are we living in. I am ashamed to call these people as part of Bengal. They should be arrested and banned from politics.”