TMC hits out at Election Commission over notice to Mamata Banerjee
The Trinamool Congress has hit out at the Election Commission over its notice to party supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, seeking to know what action the poll panel has taken on the complaints filed against the BJP. Party spokesperson Mahua Moitra said the poll body should "at least keep up the farce of impartiality".
"Mamatadi issued notice by @ECISVEEP on @BJPs complaint, What about TMC complaints of 1. Video evidence of BJP candidate distributing cash 2. Cash coupons distributed to attend BJP mtng & vote," she tweeted.
The Election Commission has issued to Banerjee for her appeal to Muslim voters while campaigning in Hooghly to not allow their votes get split among different political parties. The ECI has asked her to respond to the notice within the next 48 hours. The notice was issued on Wednesday.
The notice said the poll panel had received a complaint from a BJP delegation alleging that on April 3, she appealed to the Muslim voters not to let their votes get split among different political parties during the election rally at Tarakeshwar in Hooghly.
"Kanyashree, Kanyashree, there are scholarships up to the university. There is Shishashree for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. For general category there is Swami Vivekananda Scholarship. There is Aikyashree for my brothers and sisters belonging to the minority community and I have given it to 2 crores and 35 lakh beneficiaries. I am requesting my minority brothers and sisters with folded hands don't divide the minority votes after listening to the devil (shaitaan) person who had taken money from the BJP," the notice quoted Banerjee as saying.
The EC said it found her speech violating the provisions of the Representation of the People Act and the model code.
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