BURDWAN: The Election Commission on Tuesday showcaused BJP’s Pandabeswar candidate Jitendra Tiwari for saying that he would take all “senior citizens” of his constituency to visit “Ram Lalla in Ayodhya” at his “own expense” after his poll victory.
Responding to the showcause, Tiwari said he was “unaware” that promising to take the elderly to Ayodhya “violated the law” and apologised to the EC for his “ignorance”.
Tiwari — the former Asansol-Durgapur mayor who defected to the BJP to be rewarded with a party ticket from Pandabeswar, a seat he had won for Trinamool Congress in 2016 — had made the promise first at a public meeting in Haripur on March 21 and later in a video shared with a group of party workers.
Speaking to TOI, the leader said: “Among other things, I had mentioned that if I win the seat, I hope to have the strength to take all senior citizens from here to visit Ram Lalla in Ayodhya. I am told that this apparently violated the model code of conduct. I was unaware that promising to take people to Ayodhya violated the law. After receiving the EC notice, I have admitted to my ignorance of the law .”
The EC showcause to the BJP candidate followed a complaint lodged by Trinamool on March 22. The complaint said that Tiwari’s statements “if read in entisrety, have the effect of promoting enmity between classes of society in connection with elections on the ground of religion”.
The model code came into effect in Bengal on February 26. The EC reminded Tiwari that under Section 125 of the Representation of People’s Act, 1951, “promoting enmity between different classes of society” on religious grounds is an election offence and cited a 2017 judgment of the Supreme Court.
Tiwari said: “There was an effort made to shift me out of Pandabeswar. So, I left the party (TMC). I am thankful to BJP that it has found me worthy of this seat... My patience ran out when they threatened and intimidated people against going to Ayodhya. So, I ended up saying what I said.”