The order comes ahead of the fifth phase of Assembly elections on April 17 and the ban came into effect from 8pm on Monday till 8 pm on Tuesday.
Election Commission (EC) on Monday banned West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mamata Banerjee from campaigning for 24 hours for her "highly insinuating" and "provocative remarks" which according to the poll body had "serious potential" to lead to a law and order breakdown in the state causing hindrance in the election process. The order comes ahead of the fifth phase of Assembly elections on April 17 and the ban came into effect from 8pm on Monday till 8 pm on Tuesday. Ms Banerjee called the ban "undemocratic and unconstitutional decision of the Election Commission of India" and announced a sit-in protest against it. "I will sit on dharna tomorrow at Gandhi Murti, Kolkata from 12 noon," she tweeted on Monday.
The EC had issued two notices to Ms Banerjee on March 28 and April 7. The EC quoted Ms Banerjee's speeches where she had appealed to the minority voters and alleged her of "communal disharmony." The EC also quoted the speeches from the one at Cooch Behar on April 7 wherein Ms Banerjee allegedly asked women voters to "gherao" central police personnel if they create “disturbances."
"....if the CAPF creates disturbances, I tell you ladies, a group of you go and restrain (gherao) them while another group will go to cast their votes. Don’t waste your vote. If you engage yourself only in restraining them, they will be happy that you did not cast your vote. This is their plan. It is the plan of BJP,” the EC order quoted.
In her defence, Ms Banerjee had told the EC that she urged the voters, especially women, to cast their votes and not let anyone stop them from doing so and she encouraged them to engage in “peaceful satyagraha against authorities.” Of eight, four phases of West Bengal Assembly elections have been conducted and the votes will be counted on May 2.
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