In a first, EC curtails Bengal campaign, Mamata says 'unethical gift' to Modi

EC curtails West Bengal campaigning after violence at Amit Shah roadshow
BJP National President Amit Shah during a roadshow for the last phase of Lok Sabha elections in Kolkata.
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New Delhi: In a first such action in India's electoral history, the Election Commission on Wednesday ordered campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies to end at 10pm on Thursday, a day before its scheduled deadline, in the wake of violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata.

In a hurriedly-convened press conference, Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar said it was for the first time that such an action has been taken using constitutional powers of the poll panel.

The Election Commission (EC) also ordered the removal of Principal Secretary (Home) Atri Bhattacharya and Additional Director General, CID, Rajeev Kumar from their postings in West Bengal.

Deputy Election Commissioner Sudeep Jain, who is in charge of West Bengal, said Bhattacharya "stands relieved" from his current charge immediately, "for having interfered in the process of conducting elections" by directing the state chief electoral officer, which he was not supposed to do. The state chief secretary will look after the charge of the home secretary.

He said Rajeev Kumar has been attached to the Ministry of Home Affairs here and should report to his new assignment by 10am Thursday.

Attacking the Election Commission for curtailing the campaigning for the last phase of polls in West Bengal, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee Wednesday said it is an "unprecedented, unconstitutional and unethical gift" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the poll panel.

Banerjee, also the state chief minister, said she had never seen this type of EC which is "full of RSS people".

In a first, EC curtails Bengal campaign, Mamata says 'unethical gift' to Modi
Mamata Banerjee

Questioning the Election Commission's decision to end campaigning in West Bengal from 10pm on Thursday, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury asked if the poll body had set the time to allow Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address two rallies in the state.

"If a ban is intended for 72 hours, why is it starting at 10 pm tomorrow? Is it to allow the two rallies of the PM before that?" Yechury tweeted shortly after the EC's announcement.

Modi is scheduled to address rallies in Laxmikantapur and Dum Dum in West Bengal on Thursday afternoon.

The EC's action came a day after parts of Kolkata witnessed widespread violence during BJP president Amit Shah's massive road show in the city. A bust of 19th century Bengali icon Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar was also vandalised during the violence.

"This would be the first time when EC has invoked Article 324 in this manner but it may not be the last in cases of repetition of lawlessness and violence which vitiate the conduct of polls in a peaceful and orderly manner," Deputy Election Commissioner Kumar said.

In a first, EC curtails Bengal campaign, Mamata says 'unethical gift' to Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi

"Now, therefore, the Election Commission of India, in exercise of its powers under Article 324 of the Constitution ...hereby directs that no person shall convene, hold, attend, join or address any public meeting or procession in connection with the election," the eight-page order read.

The order also barred any musical concert, theatrical performance to attract people in connection with the polls.

It said liquor or similar intoxicants cannot be served in election going areas in bars, hotels and shops during the ban period.

The order said it has been brought to the notice of the Commission that there have been growing incidents of disruption and violence during the political campaigns and processions in West Bengal during the ongoing elections.

It said the observers pointed out that while on the surface, everything looks fine, in their frank interactions with the public the fear psychosis that is widely prevails comes out.

"They pointed out that utterances of the AITC (Trinamool Congress) senior leaders on the lines of 'central forces will leave at the end of elections, while we will remain, sends a chilling message among the officers as well as voters alike," it said referring to the report of special observers Ajay Nayak, a former IAS, and Vivek Dubey, a retired IPS.

Reading out a statement, Kumar said, the Commission is "deeply anguished" at the vandalism done to the statue of Ishwarchandra Bandyopadhyay (who was conferred the title of 'Vidyasagar').

The constituencies where campaigning has been curtailed are - Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin and Kolkata Uttar.

The order on curtailment of the campaigning was signed by Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and Election Commissioners Ashok Lavasa and Sushil Chandra.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley took to Twitter to attack the Trinamool Congress after the EC's decision.

"A constitutional authority, the Election Commission of India, has effectively held Bengal to be a state in Anarchy. Repeatedly escalating violence, state supported Vandals, a partisan police and home department are the illustrations the ECI has given," he said.

He also said, a free campaign was not possible and, therefore, the campaign had to be cut short. "This is a classical case of breakdown of the Constitutional Machinery," he wrote.

The vandalisation of Vidyasagar's bust and clashes during Shah's road show in Kolkata on Tuesday triggered a fierce blame game between BJP and the Trinamool Congress.

Shah, at a press conference here, alleged that Mamata Banerjee's TMC was involved in vandalising the bust and unleashing violence during his roadshow in Kolkata on Tuesday as part of a "conspiracy" to blame the BJP.

On its part, the TMC released videos to claim that "BJP goons" damaged the statue of Vidyasagar and said the videos not only establish what the saffron party did, but proved that Shah is a "liar" and a "dhokebaaz" (betrayer).