The Election Commission of India on Tuesday sought a response from the BJP president Amit Shah over a remark made by West Bengal BJP leader claiming that the poll panel was under the “control” of the party.
Giving time till Friday to respond, the Commission took serious exception to the comment made by BJP leader Joy Banerjee at a public meeting in Birbhum on September 20. The panel asked the party president to explain the controversial statement where the leader claimed that the party now has “control over the Election Commission”.
The poll panel also referred to his remarks on the security arrangements for the Assembly polls in the State due next year. He said the party would ensure adequate deployment of central forces to oversee elections in West Bengal. If BJP won the Bihar elections, Banerjee claimed the party will “run a bulldozer” in Bengal in the coming polls.
In a letter addressed to Shah, EC wrote, “The Commission considers that the above-referred statement of Banerjee amounts to denigrating the integrity of the Election Commission as the statement can distort public perception about the neutrality, autonomy and independence of the Election Commission.”
After the EC letter, BJP said it has nothing to do with Banerjee’s remarks which he had made in personal capacity. It also noted that he has already apologised for his comments.
“The Election Commission is a Constitutional body and BJP has all the respect for its independence,” BJP secretary Shrikant Sharma said.