Kolkata, Apr 13 (UNI) The Election Commission of India (ECI ) on Tuesday banned BJP's Habra, North 24 Parganas, candidate Rahul Sinha for next 48 hours with effect from 12 noon on Tuesday for his alleged provocative statement, a move comes from the poll body a day after TMC supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was banned from electioneering for 24 hours until 8 pm today.
The TMC leaders on Monday lodged a complaint with the poll body against former state president of BJP Rahul Sinha, who is contesting the Habra seat, for his alleged provocative statement on Sitalkuchi.
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee on Monday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders who have allegedly justified the violence at the Sitalkuchi polling booth during phase 4 of the state assembly election.
The TMC chief attacked the saffron camp for BJP leader Rahul Sinha's recent statement on the incident and demanded a ban on 'political leaders who make such statements.
On Sunday Sinha said, "The central forces should have killed eight people instead of four in Sitalkuchi.
"Mamata Banerjee is using evil forces to deprive people of their democratic rights... which is what happened in Sitalkuchi. The central forces responded appropriately. If it happens again, they will answer again," Mr Sinha said during a poll rally.
Slamming Rahul Sinha's statement, Mamata Banerjee said, "For the BJP, politics means killing people. After four people died in the firing, they are saying why four, eight should have been killed. This is absurd. Do they have brains? The leaders who say such things should be banned. Are they not ashamed?"
Lately, the ECI also put a ban on the electioneering for Mr Sinha with effect from 12 noon today up to 12 noon on April 15.
However, the campaign for the fifth phase poll ends at 10 pm today.
Meanwhile, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee began her protest sit-in-demonstration for the poll body's decision banning her campaigning for 24 hours.
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