Bengal Chunav: Election Commission strict on BJP leaders after Mamata, warns Suvendu, seeks response on Dilip Ghosh's statement

Kolkata The Election Commission has asked West Bengal BJP President Dilip Ghosh to clarify his stand on his statement on the Sitalkuchi incident in Coochbehar by 10 am tomorrow. The Election Commission has banned BJP leader Rahul Sinha from campaigning in any manner for the next 48 hours. Sinha will not campaign from 12 noon to 15 April this afternoon. The ban has been imposed on them after making a controversial statement on the violence in Sitalakuchi in Cooch Behar during the fourth phase of polling. At the same time, the Election Commission has issued a notice to BJP leader Shubhendu Adhikari on a speech given to BJP leader Shubhendu Adhikari on March 29 for violating the model code of conduct.

The Election Commission has warned BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari for his speech on March 29. For this, he filed a reply on 9 April. The Commission has advised them to refrain from making such statements in public when the Model Code of Conduct is in force. The notice states that the Election Commission has found that certain provisions of the Model Code of Conduct have been violated.

At the same time, BJP's candidate from Habra seat Rahul Sinha on Monday said in an allegedly disputed statement that not four, but eight people should have been shot dead by central forces in Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar. Sinha is banned from campaigning in any manner for the next 48 hours. Sinha will not campaign from 12 noon to 15 April this afternoon. The ban has been imposed on them after making a controversial statement on the violence in Sitalakuchi in Cooch Behar during the fourth phase of polling.

Rahul Sinha had said that eight people should have been killed by the central forces instead of four in Sheetalchuki. Central forces took the right step in Sitalakuchi during the fourth phase of polling. He reportedly said that the central force would again respond in the same way if it happens again in Sitalkuchi.

At the same time, a new controversy arose with the statement of West Bengal BJP President Dilip Ghosh on Sunday. In an election rally, he had said that if someone tried to take the law like the naughty boys killed in Sitalkuchi, the killings like Cooch Behar could also happen in the next phase of elections. The Trinamool Congress had strongly objected to this and demanded their arrest. At the same time, the CPI (M) said that this statement exposes the fascist face of the saffron party.

Let us tell you that during the fourth phase of polling in the Sitalkuchi assembly constituency, the Central Force opened fire after some people tried to snatch rifles from the CISF personnel in which four people were killed. Ghosh had said that the mischievous boys were shot in Sitalkuchi. If anyone dares to take the law in their hands, the same will happen to them. He did not elaborate on the 'mischievous boys'. He said that on April 17 (the fifth day of the election day) the central forces would be stationed at the polling stations. If he tried to take the law into his own hands, events like Sitalakuchi could happen. It is noteworthy that Ghosh has made many controversial statements in the past.

At the same time, in a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal, Trinamool Congress said that many BJP leaders including BJP leaders Dilip Ghosh, Rahul Sinha are inciting violence by warning of more incidents like Cooch Behar. The Trinamool Congress wrote to the Election Commission saying that strict action should be taken against BJP leaders for inflammatory remarks. Taking a dig at the BJP leaders, Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee said those who are threatening to repeat more incidents like Cooch Behar's Sheetalchi, should be politically banned.