EC bars Abhijit Ganguly from campaigning for 24 hrs
Kolkata: The Election Commission (EC) is learnt to have put a ban on the campaign of BJP’s Tamluk seat candidate Abhijit Gangopadhyay for his “improper, injudicious and undignified” remarks against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The 24-hour ban will be in effect from 5 pm on Tuesday till 5 pm on Wednesday. The decision from the poll panel also came a day after Gangopadhyay, a former Calcutta High Court judge, sent his reply to the show-cause notice issued by the EC for his remarks. The poll body felt that his “improper, injudicious and undignified” remarks were prima facie a violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
The Commission has warned Gangopadhyay to be careful in his public utterances. The EC’s letter to Gangopadhyay read: “…the Commission has carefully gone through the contents and averments made in the aforesaid reply of Shri Abhijit Gangopadhyay and has again gone through the statement made and is convinced that he has made a low-level personal attack and thus violated the provisions of Model Code of Conduct.”
The EC had acted against Gangopadhyay on the basis of a complaint filed by Trinamool Congress (TMC).
According to English translation of his remarks, as presented by TMC in its complaint, Gangopadhyay said: “‘Mamata Banerjee, how much are you being sold for? Your rate is 10 lakhs, why? Because you’re getting your makeup done by Keya Seth? Mamata Banerjee, is she even a woman? I keep wondering sometimes”. According to TMC, the remarks are “a clear portrayal of his indecent behaviour and his misogynistic mindset”.
The party also wrote: “It is unfortunate that Mr. Gangopadhyay, having held a prominent position in the Judiciary, has chosen to attack the dignity of women, especially a woman holding a position of power with the sole intention to further his political propaganda and to stay relevant during the current period of Lok Sabha election, 2024”.
Trinamool told the EC that “such an attempt to defame the Hon’ble CM and to outrage her modesty through the said remark(s)/statement(s), is in complete contravention to the provisions of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (“IPC”) including Sections 354, 503, 504, 506 and 509 of IPC and it also violates the MCC”. It demanded that the EC should initiate criminal proceedings against Abhijit Gangopadhyay for contravening the provisions of the IPC. It also requested imposing a complete ban on Mr. Abhijit Gangopadhyay from holding and attending any public meetings, public rallies, public processions, road shows, interviews, public utterances in media. Meanwhile, Trinamool on Tuesday lodged a complaint with the EC, demanding action against a BJP leader Samit Mondal for resorting to malpractices and corruption during the polls. Recently, during a raid, police found Rs 35 lakh from the possession of Mondal who was staying at a Kharagpur hotel. The cash recovered was allegedly undocumented.
