Notice to CPM leader over Mamata cartoon on FB wall

Arshad Ali, IE, Kolkata | April 4, 2014: A caricature of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee — shown as a beggar with a bowl in hand — is in circulation in cyberspace. Posted on the Facebook wall of CPM candidate of Burdwan (E) Iswar Chandra Das, the caption reads: “This is what will happen to her (Mamata) after the 2016 Assembly election”.

Earlier, on April 12, 2012, Jadavpur University professor Ambikesh Mahapatra was arrested for circulating a cartoon of the CM, which was a spoof of Satyajit Ray’s film Sonar Kella.

The Trinamool Congress observer for Burdwan (E), Alok Das, has put in a complaint in this regard with the District Magistrate. “It is an attempt to insult Mamata Banerjee and malign the party’s reputation. We have requested the DM to take prompt and stern action,” he said.

Das has been sent a showcause notice by ADM (Model Code of Conduct) Utpal Biswas.

“We received a complaint last night and have issued a showcause notice today. Das will have to reply within 24 hours,” Biswas said.

Asked about the kind of code violation it would fall under, he said, “If a candidate is to use any social networking site for campaigning, he has to have a permission for that. It had not been taken in this case. Again, there is a restriction on the kind of content that can be displayed on these sites.”

Das, meanwhile, said he had no idea about the post on the social networking site, as he had not logged into his account for two days. He also said he was only tagged in a photograph posted by one Suvadeep Sardar who was his Facebook friend.

“I was tagged in a photograph posted by my friend at a time when I had no idea about it. I had not used Facebook for the last two days. I saw it this morning when I heard about it,” the CPM candidate said.

He also said he had not deleted or liked the post. “I have taken all the necessary printouts and will reply to the showcause notice,” he added.

Officials at the chief electoral officer, however, said they have no information about it.