EC showcauses Mamata for jawan gherao call

 The chief minister has time to reply until 11am on Saturday, failing which the Election Commission could file an FIR against her

Mamata Banerjee at an election meeting in Jotram, East Burdwan, on Friday.: Munshi Muklesur Rahaman

Pheroze L. Vincent, Snehamoy Chakraborty   |  TT  |  New Delhi, Jamalpur   |   Published 10.04.21: The Election Commission on Thursday again showcaused Mamata Banerjee primarily for asking women to gherao central force personnel if they created trouble during voting.

But the Bengal chief minister remained unfazed and said she would continue to make such statements against paramilitary jawans as long as they allegedly acted at the behest of the BJP.

The EC had sent another showcause to Mamata on Wednesday for her call to minorities not to divide their votes, which the commission deemed communal.

The latest notice cites statements of Mamata on March 28 and April 7.

In its notice, the commission quoted Mamata as saying on a private English news channel on March 28: “Who gave so much power to them that the central police are threatening women without allowing them to cast their votes? I saw the same thing in 2019, I saw the same thing in 2016.”

According to the commission, Mamata said in Cooch Behar on April 7: “They will bring goons from Assam to create panic…. And if 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.”

CAPF is the abbreviation of central armed police forces, which the commission has deployed in unprecedented numbers for the Bengal Assembly polls.

Mamata added: “It is the plan of the BJP. And your plan will be that you will not be scared if they try to intimidate you coming to your village on the one hand, on the other you just talk to them. Talking to them will be tantamount to restrain them. You don’t have to gherao them literally.”

The commission has found her statement in violation of Sections 186 (obstruction of public servant), 189 (threat of injury to public servant) and 505 (public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code, cumulatively punishable by a jail term of more than five years.

The chief minister has time to reply until 11am on Saturday, failing which the commission could file an FIR against her.

Commission secretary Rakesh Kumar said in the notice: “… it is more than obvious that Ms. Mamata Banerjee, Chairperson of AITC has been consistent in berating and demoralizing the Central Para Military Forces… Far more discouraging is the fact that Ms. Banerjee has been trying to make an emotional pitch for the women voters to go to the extent of inciting them to attack the personnel of CPFs.”

The notice said the Trinamul Congress had told chief election commissioner Sunil Arora on February 21 that the Border Security Force was coercing voters at frontier villages to vote for a particular party, but had only given anecdotal evidence.

The Trinamul Congress chief refused to bow down despite the second showcause.

Addressing a public rally at Jamalpur in East Burdwan on Friday, Mamata said: “I will continue to comment on the CRPF ….. as long as they keep working for the BJP. I will salute them if they don’t work for the BJP.”

“Remember, we respect the jawans of our country and salute them. But I am not ready to salute Amit Shah. They (jawans) are working under the instructions of Amit Shah. I will not salute Shah even if that is necessary for survival. Those who were involved in the riots of Gujarat became the leaders of Delhi,” she added.

Mamata once again demanded answers from the commission for its purported inaction on the likes of Union home minister Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi despite their alleged violation of the model code of conduct on a number of occasions.

“The Prime Minister is doing that Pariksha Pe Charcha… you may do it but why is it (being televised) in Bengal. Is the model code (of conduct) not violated when he addresses such programmes during the elections?” she asked.

“Amit Shah is saying whatever he wants, but the code is not violated then (according to the commission). The code is violated only if Mamata Banerjee addresses the masses. I was with the people, I am with them, and will continue to be with them. That will be my answer to all your showcauses,” added the chief minister.

She said this was not the first time that the commission had showcaused her and had even prevented her (in 2019) from campaigning a day earlier than scheduled.

“I know it is a way to torture us… it is an injustice on Trinamul. But you (the commission) can’t do anything, as the people are with us. You (the commission) have changed everything (by way of rules) to fulfil the wishes of the BJP, daily…,” she said.