Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was on Thursday slapped with a notice by the Election Commission of India for breaking the model code of conduct launched a scathing attack on the poll panel for “adhering to the diktats of the Congress and the BJP.” Publicly daring the Commission, she vowed to repeat her acts “do whatever you want.”
Chief Election Commissioner Naseem Zaidi who on Thursday visited Kolkata at the head of the full EC bench said after hearing the Opposition parties, “It has been brought to our notice that she (Banerjee) made a promise of creation of Asansol district and also made certain other utterances, for which a show-cause has been issued. The show-cause was returnable in 24 hours.
The Commission was also contemplating strong action against Birbhum Trinamool president and party strongman Anubrata Mandal who had earlier threatened the voters and Opposition polling agents saying “they will all vanish on the polling day” adding the Opposition voters and agents would be treated to “Batasa and water (a kind of sweetmeat) the colour of which will be darkish-red. And you know what is darkish-red (apparently colour of blood).”
Fearing bloodshed the Opposition demanded his arrest.
Hours after Commission notice Banerjee thundered from a public rally in Birbhum district saying, “Election Commission has issued me a notice on the Nava Varsha (Bengali New Year). It refers to my speech on taking account of all the canards being spread against me after the elections.
“I stick to my speeches as they are my democratic right. let them send 40 such letters. I will make such statements thousand times, one lakh times. Do whatever you want. We need Badla (revenge) of whatever is being done against us.”
On arrest of Anubrata Mandal proposed by the Opposition, Banerjee said, “why should Anubrata be arrestedIJ Why will other leaders like Md Salim, Biman Bose, Adhir Chowdhury and Buddhadeb Bhattacharya not be arrestedIJ” warning strong measures if such actions were taken against Mandal.
The Commission was following the diktats of the Congress and the BJP but “people will give reply of every conspiracy being hatched against us” she said wondering why such an “efficient officer” like Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajib Kumar was removed by the Commission.
The Commission had also demanded explanations from the State Election Office regarding the conduct of police and other observers as well as it wanted to know why so many complaints were coming and how the CEO’s office could address 1,800 complaints — in reference to the First Phase of polls — in a span of 12 hours only.