West Bengal Chief Minister has decided to sit on dharna on Tuesday in protest against Election Commission’s decision to ban her from campaigning for 24 hours.
The Trinamool Congress’s supremo called the EC’s decision totally “undemocratic and unconstitutional” and pledged herself to protest against it.
The polling body, who had already sent so many notices to Ms Banerjee earlier over her alleged remarks on central forces and one of her statements that alleged religious overtones has now finally resorted to ban her from 8 pm on Monday to 8 pm on Tuesday.
In its five page notice to the CM Mamata Banerjee the EC said, “The Commission hereby condemns such statements potent with serious law and order problem across the state(s) and sternly warns Mamata Banerjee and advises her to desist from using such statements while making public utterances during the period when Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is in force. The Commission also imposes a ban of 24 hours on Banerjee from campaigning in any manner”.
In her immediate reply to the notice she tweeted “To protest against this undemocratic and unconstitutional decision of the Election Commission, I will sit on a dharna on Tuesday at Gandhi Murti from 12 noon”.
The Commission on April 7 had also sent her a notice to clarify herself for her open demand for votes on communal grounds.
“I am requesting my minority brothers and sisters with folded hands, don`t divide the minority votes after listening to the devil person who had taken money from the BJP. He passes many communal statements and initiates clashes between the Hindus and the Muslims. He is one of the apostles of the BJP, comrade. The comrades of CPM and BJP are roaming around with the money given by the BJP to divide the minority votes,” she had said while demanding votes from minority groups.
“I did not seek to influence the voters to cast their vote for her on religious segmentary lines I categorically spoke on the religious harmony lines with the spirit of the MCC,” she had replied to the notice sent to her on April 7.
She was also sent a notice upon her criticizing and defaming statements against the central forces.
“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… I am telling you. 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,” Banerjee had said.
“In my speech, I had only called upon the voters to protest (democratically by gherao) if and when somebody (including CAPF) created any obstruction in their right to vote. Gherao is a democratic way of registering protest,” she had clarified herself for her statements against the central forces after EC’s notice.
The Commission also said that Ms Banerjee who is West Bengal Chief Minister has breached the Model Code of Conduct and also Section 123(3) and (3A) of the Representation of the People`s Act 1951 and sections `186, 189 and 505 of Indian Penal Code and made highly provocative remarks having a power to break the law and affecting the election process.
Out of total eight phases the state will under its fifth phase of elections on April 17. The vote counting is scheduled to take place on May 2.
