Mamata Banerjee sticks to plea to avoid vote division

The chief minister said that it didn’t matter how many notices she got from the commission as she spoke in favour of unity

Mamata addresses an election rally at Serampore on Thursday.:Picture by Pradip Sanyal

Meghdeep Bhattacharyya   |  TT  |  Calcutta   |  09.04.21: Mamata Banerjee on Thursday came out all guns blazing against the Election Commission, albeit without naming the panel, wondering whether the EC had the shame to issue a showcause to her while it was sitting silent on numerous complaints on Nandigram Muslims being labelled as Pakistanis by BJP leaders. 

On Wednesday, the commission had sent a showcause to the chief minister on the charge of violating norms by asking Muslims not to divide their votes. The notice was issued on a complaint filed by the BJP on Monday when Mamata had delivered the speech. The chief minister said at a rally in Howrah’s Domjur on Thursday that it didn’t matter how many notices she got from the commission as she spoke in favour of unity.

“Listen to me, clearly…. They could issue 10 showcause notices to me, it doesn’t matter. My answer would remain unchanged,” said Mamata to thunderous applause from an audience of thousands.

“I am telling everybody, there will be no division. Everybody stand united as one and cast your votes. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, everybody. Nobody vote for them (the BJP),” she added.

Mamata was given 48 hours to reply to the EC’s showcause.

With her combative approach in the publicly issued response to the notice, the chief minister made it clear that she was unwilling to take even the commission’s rap across the knuckles lying down.

“The commission has been shamelessly biased towards the BJP. It needs to be called out and publicly shamed repeatedly for that,” said a senior Trinamul Congress leader.

The leader pointed out that the showcause was served on Mamata a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had wondered aloud in Cooch Behar whether she had received a notice from the commission for her appeal to Muslims not to divide their votes.

“Every BJP leader of note, right up to Modi and Amit Shah, have been repugnantly communal on numerous occasions, in all their election campaigns in recent years, including this time. They keep getting away with little or no action, even by way of these infantile notices from the commission,” added the Trinamul leader.

On Thursday, the Trinamul chief apparently lambasted the commission, which she has repeatedly been accused of working to favour the BJP, demanding answers on the absence of measures against the likes of Modi.

“There is no point in complaining against me. How many have there been against Narendra Modi? He, who does Hindu-Muslim (polarisation) every single day. How many complaints are against him?” the chief minister asked.

“How many complaints against those who called our citizens — in Nandigram — Pakistanis because they are Muslims? Have they no shame? They should hang themselves in shame,” she added.

She was referring to Trinamul turncoat and BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari who had called Mamata “begum” and fomented fears of a “mini-Pakistan” in Nandigram on March 29.

EC secretary Rakesh Kumar said Mamata’s remarks had been found to be in violation of Sections 123(3) and 3(A) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and Clauses 2, 3 and 4 of Part I of the Model Code of Conduct, which prohibit unverified allegations, appeal to caste or communal feelings for votes and intimidation of voters.

“They dare complain against me on this… chhai korbey (they will be able to do nothing),” said Mamata on Thursday.

She went on to reassert the pluralistic and inclusive worldview at the core of her politics and policy-making. 

“I am with Hindus. I am with Muslims. I am with Sikhs. I am with Christians. I am with Scheduled Castes. I am with Scheduled Tribes,” said the chief minister.