The Election Commission (EC) Monday imposed a 24-hour campaigning ban on West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC leader Mamata Banerjee for her “highly insinuating” and “provocative remarks” which the poll body said had “serious potential” to lead to a law and order breakdown in the state. It cited her repeated remarks against Central forces deployed in the state on election duty.

Campaigning for the fifth phase of the elections in West Bengal on April 17 has already been curtailed by a day. On April 10, following the violence in Cooch Behar where four persons were killed in firing by CISF personnel, the EC had extended the ‘silent period’ from 48 hours to 72 hours for the fifth round.

Reacting to the EC ban order, Banerjee, who was scheduled to address four rallies Tuesday, said she will now stage a sit-in to protest the poll panel decision.

To protest against the undemocratic and unconstitutional decision of the Election Commission of India, I will sit on dharna tomorrow at Gandhi Murti, Kolkata from 12 noon.

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) April 12, 2021

While TMC leader Derek O’Brien tweeted that “EC stands for Extremely Compromised”, Yashwant Sinha, who joined the party recently, said: “We always had a doubt about the impartiality of the EC. But today it has shed whatever pretense it had. Now it is clear that EC is acting at the behest of Modi/Shah and under their direct order. Every institution of democracy is compromised today. What hope do we have?”

.@ECISVEEP thanks for making our job easy! We didn`t have to prove your culpability, you did it on your own.

By banning @MamataOfficial from campaigning for the next 24 hours @BJP4India has revealed how badly they are going to be decimated in Bengal. #BlackDayForDemocracy pic.twitter.com/1MthueCb9v

— Soham Chakraborty (@myslf_soham) April 12, 2021

CPM leader Dr. Sujan Chakraborty said: “Along with Mamata Banerjee, EC must ban BJP leaders Dilip Ghosh, Rahul Sinha, and Sayantan Banerjee for their provocative remarks.”

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