LS election 2019: Mamata asks EC to ensure peaceful and impartial voting, nephew Abhishek Banerjee sends defamation notice to PM

Sitting MP Abhishek Banerjee, who is the nephew of TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and considered the number two in the party, is seeking re-election from the Diamond Harbour seat, where he is pitted against BJP's Nilanjan Roy.

The notice was sent for alleged derogatory remarks made against him in a public rally on 15 May, held in Diamond Harbour in West Bengal./ ANI IMAGE

Kolkata: TMC leader and nephew of West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday sent a defamation notice to Prime Minister Narendra Modi through his lawyer. The notice was sent for alleged derogatory remarks made against him in a public rally on 15 May, held in Diamond Harbour in West Bengal. Sitting MP Abhishek Banerjee, who is the nephew of TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and considered the number two in the party, is seeking re-election from the Diamond Harbour seat, where he is pitted against BJP's Nilanjan Roy.

TMC leader & nephew of West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee through his lawyer sends a defamation notice to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for alleged derogatory remarks made against him in a public rally on 15 May, held in Diamond Harbour in West Bengal. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/3kYEcyiQBu

— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2019

Modi has been given 36 hours to apologise or face legal proceedings, according to the notice served by Banerjee's lawyer, Sanjay Basu. "... The malice with which you chose to invoke certain unverified, sensationalist and patently inaccurate information, ostensibly at the behest of your party members... has compelled my client to address you vide this letter," said the notice, sent to the PM's official residence and the BJP state headquarters. In the state, preparations are in place for the seventh and final phase of the general elections, where nine Lok Sabha constituencies will go to polls tomorrow where eight seats, barring Jadavpur, will witness a four- cornered contest between the Trinamool Congress, the BJP, the Congress and the Left Front. Earlier today, Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to the Election Commission to ensure "peaceful and impartial" elections in the state without the interference of the BJP. The EC should ensure that Sunday's polling is held without the "undue interference of the central government" and any "intervention by the ruling party at the Centre", Banerjee, West Bengal chief minister said. "In the final phase of the election tomorrow, I would request your good office to kindly ensure that election is completed peacefully, impartially and without any undue interference of the Central government and any intervention by the ruling party at the centre," Banerjee wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora. She also requested the poll body to "protect democratic institutions and federal structure of the country and extend due respect to the opposition parties". ALSO WATCH: Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Voting for last phase on May 19