Bengal polls: BJP moves Election Commission against Mamata Banerjee’s statement on Sitalkuchi incident

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has approached the Election Commission of India stating that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee violated the Model Code of Conduct with a statement on Sitalkuchi incident during a rally. The party alleged that Banerjee’s statement amounts to incite mutiny in the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) deployed in the state. The party demanded action against her by the Election Commission.

The BJP claimed that at a public meeting in Nadia district, the CM appealed to the CAPF personnel “not to shoot on the orders of the BJP. They are today but will not remain tomorrow.”

In its complaint to the CEO, the saffron party alleged that the statement casts aspersions on the authority of the Election Commission.

“The CAPF personnel during the election duty remain under the overall supervision of Commission and their superior officials deployed on ground,” the BJP said, adding that political parties who are stakeholders in the elections have no command over the forces deployed.

“This amounts to incitement to mutiny in barely concealed language,” the complaint by the BJP over Banerjee’s alleged statement said.

The BJP claimed that Banerjee made the statement on Sunday in reference to the firing by CAPF in Cooch Behar district on April 10 during polling, “violating provisions of MCC and provisions of the Representation of People Act, 1951.”

“The statement deserves to be condemned and much stricter action is to be taken against her,” the BJP demanded in the complaint.

Four persons were killed in the firing which took place during the fourth phase of polling. The Election Commission had earlier banned Mamata from campaigning for 24 hours last week over her remarks against central forces and a statement that had religious overtones.

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