24 hour campaigning ban on Mamata by Election Commission
The Election Commission of India has banned Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee from campaigning during the assembly elections in West Bengal for 24 hours, beginning 8 pm today.
The Election Commission found her guilty of breaking the law with her comments on Muslim votes and for allegedly urging voters to revolt against Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
The Election Commission called these “false, provocative and intemperate statements” that “vilified” central forces and had caused “extreme demoralisation” in the ranks of the force.
“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, I saw the same thing in 2016,” she said during the March rally.
“I know under whose instruction they beat up people and how they beat up. It is your duty to save the families of the people. If any of our mothers and sisters suffer a single strike with the stick, attack them with ladles, spuds and knife. I am telling you. It is the right of women. And if any of our mothers and sisters are denied entry in the voting compartment all of you come out and revolt,” she allegedly said.
The Election Commission said that in Cooch Behar, she made “highly objectionable remarks” on the Central Reserve Police Forces (CRPF).
Banerjee is charge with saying, “If the central armed forces create disturbances, I tell you ladies, a group of you go and restrain (gherao) them while another group will go to cast their votes. Don't waste your vote. If you engage yourself only in restraining them, they will be happy that you did not cast your vote. This is their plan. This is the plan of the 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.”
Following the Election Commission order against her, Banerjee tweeted, “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