Kolkata: A day after the Election Commission issued a notice to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress leader on Thursday challenged the notice and said that even if she was served 10 of such notices, she would keep urging voters to vote unitedly against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Speaking at a public rally in Domjur, Banerjee said: “Even if 10 show cause notices are issued against me, my answer will remain the same. I am telling everyone to vote unitedly, there will no division. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians, do not give a single vote to them.
“How many complaints have been filed against (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi? He does Hindu-Muslim every day, how many complaints have been filed against him? How many complaints have been registered against those people who referred to Nandigram’s Muslims as Pakistanis? Aren’t they ashamed? They cannot do anything against me. I am with Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians as well as tribals,” she added.
Banerjee also lashed out at the BJP for raising fuel prices in the country and accused the party of destroying the country and propagating lies against her and Trinamool Congress (TMC) through national channels. “They have over one lakh thugs in West Bengal to convert it into Gujarat. We will not let our state be turned into Gujarat,” she remarked, adding that the rival party has bought several political leaders with money.
Earlier on Wednesday, CM Banerjee was issued a notice by the EC for her alleged appeal to Muslim voters while campaigning in Hooghly to not allow their votes get split among different political parties. She had been asked to respond to the notice within the next 48 hours.
The notice said the poll panel had received a complaint from a BJP delegation alleging that on April 3, Banerjee 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.
“He passes many communal statements and initiates clashes between the Hindu and the Muslims. He is one of the apostles of the BJP, a comrade. The comrades of CPI-M and BJP are roaming around with the money given by the BJP to divide the minority votes. Please don”t allow them to do so. Keep in mind that if the BJP comes into the government then you will be in severe danger.
“I also will tell my Hindu brothers and sister not to make division amongst yourselves as Hindu and Muslim after listening to 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.