Team News Riveting
Kolkata, April 7
The Election Commission has sent a notice to West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) Chief Mamata Banerjee for allegedly asking Muslims to vote en-bloc for her party.
The poll panel had asked Mamata Banerjee to reply within 48 hours.
The action came following the BJP complaint to the Election Commission seeking action against Banerjee alleging that she has violated Representation of the People’s Act by asking Muslims to come together and vote for her party TMC in the state assembly polls.
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who was part of the delegation that submitted memorandum to the poll panel, said that in an election speech in Hooghly’s Tarakeshwar on April 3, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee appealed to Muslim voters not to let their votes be split among different parties and asked them to cast their votes en-bloc to her party.
“She has not only violated the essentials of the Model Code of Conduct by making such remarks but this is also a criminal violation of the Representation of People Act, 1951. The poll panel should initiate action against Mamata Banerjee and her party for this violation,” Naqvi said.
Responding to the EC notice, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra questioned the poll body’s inaction over complaints made by TMC. “What about TMC complaints of 1. Video evidence of BJP candidate distributing cash. 2. Cash coupons distributed to attend BJP mtng & vote. Gentlemen – at least keep up the farce of impartiality!” she tweeted.
