The Election Commission has issued a notice to West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mamata Banerjee over her statement on 3 April appealing to Muslim voters to unite against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and not let their vote be split, reported news agency ANI.
Speaking at a rally, the CM had said, “I am requesting my minority brothers and sisters with folded hands, don’t divide the minority votes after listening to the devil person who had taken money from the BJP. He passes many communal statements and initiate clashes between the Hindu and the Muslims.”
She further went on to say that “he is one of the apostles of the BJP, a BJP comrade. The comrades of CPM and BJP are roaming around with the money given by BJP to divide the minority-votes.”
The EC has asked her to explain her stand within 48 hours, failing which it will take action, reported Hindustan Times.
Banerjee’s comment had come during an election rally ahead of phase 3 of polling in the West Bengal Assembly elections, in Tarakeshwar in Hooghly district.
The EC notice comes on the back of a complaint by a BJP delegation led by Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Tuesday slammed Mamata Banerjee saying that her appeal to the Muslim minority against the division of their votes proves that she has lost the confidence of her vote bank.
While addressing a rally in North Bengal’s Cooch Behar district, the PM had said, “Recently, you appealed for Muslim unity and said their votes should not divide. It shows that Muslim vote bank, which you considered as your strength, has slipped out of our hands. It shows that you have lost the poll,” ANI reported.
The PM continued to slam the CM, saying, "Didi, you are abusive towards the Election Commission. But had we asked the Hindus to unite and vote for BJP, we would have got eight or ten notices from the Election Commission,” NDTV reported.
(With inputs from ANI, NDTV, and Hindustan Times.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)