The Election Commission on Monday barred West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee from campaigning for 24 hours as penalty for her remarks against Central security forces and for "appealing to voters in the name of religion", according to several media reports.
The ban will end at 8 pm on Tuesday.
Responding to the EC, Banerjee said she will stage a protest in Kolkata from noon on Tuesday.
To protest against the undemocratic and unconstitutional decision of the Election Commission of India, I will sit on dharna tomorrow at Gandhi Murti, Kolkata from 12 noon.
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) April 12, 2021
On Monday, the EC's order said, "Commission hereby condemns such statements potent with serious law and order problems 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 is in force."
It added that the "Commission also imposes a ban of 24 hours on Ms Mamata Banerjee from campaigning in any manner from 8.00 pm of 12 April till 8.00 pm of 13 April".
It is self-evident from the perusal of all reports that allegations mentioned in your hand-written note are factually incorrect, without any empirical evidence whatsoever&devoid of substance:ECI responds to CM Mamata Banerjee's reply over her appeal for votes along communal lines pic.twitter.com/azxct7cVo4
— ANI (@ANI) April 12, 2021
The EC said Banerjee's statements are in violation of Sections 123 (3), 3 (A) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and (2), (3), and (4) clauses of the General Conduct of Model Code of Conduct, Livemint reported.
On 8 April, the poll panel had issued a notice over Banerjee's 3 April speech at Hooghly, when she had allegedly "appealed to minorities not to split their votes among different political parties", The Times of India reported.
In a series of tweets, TMC MP Derek O'Brien slammed the EC for the ban and accused the poll panel of being "extremely compromised".
April 12.
BLACK DAY in our democracy.
— Derek O'Brien | ডেরেক ও'ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) April 12, 2021
Always knew we were winning Bengal.
— Derek O'Brien | ডেরেক ও'ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) April 12, 2021
Other TMC leaders also criticised the penalty and said that Banerjee's "voice cannot be stopped with a ban".
Party leader Kakoli Dastidar said, "The BJP has lost in four rounds. Mamata Banerjee's voice cannot be stopped with a ban. His voice is the voice of ten crore people of Bengal."
হেরেছে হেরেছে !!!বি জে পি চার দফায় হেরেছে মমতা ব্যানার্জির কন্ঠনিষেধাগগা দিয়ে বন্ধ করা যায়না । বাংলার দশ কোটি মানুষের কন্ঠই তার আওয়াজ @MamataOfficial@abhishekaitc@derekobrienmp@BanglarGorboMB @BengalElection2021
— Dr. KakoliGDastidar (@kakoligdastidar) April 12, 2021
With inputs from PTI
April 12, 2021 at 08:58PM
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