Mamata calls EC's decision to curtails West Bengal campaigning as ‘unfair, unethical and politically biased’

Mamata termed the Election Commission's decision to curtail campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections in the state and removal of two senior officers as one taken on the direction of the BJP.

NEW DELHI: Hours after the Election Commission on Wednesday ordered campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies to end at 10 PM on Thursday, a day before its scheduled deadline in the wake of violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee claimed that the EC is running under the BJP. Calling EC's order to curtail West Bengal campaigning an unprecedented decision, Mamata said: "Amit Shah instigated violence through his meeting. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's statue was vandalized but Modi did not feel sorry for that today. People of Bengal have taken this seriously. Action should be taken against Amit Shah." "Amit Shah today did a press conference and threatened the EC. Is this the result of that? Bengal is not scared. Bengal was targeted because I am speaking against Modi," she added. During the press conference, she claimed that yesterday's violence was because of Amit Shah and asked, "Why has the EC not issued a show-cause notice to him or sacked him?"

West Bengal CM, Mamata Banerjee: Election Commission's decision is unfair, unethical and politically biased. PM Modi given time to finish his two rallies tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/nsU9l5TJ7u

— ANI (@ANI) May 15, 2019

Banerjee said the EC action is an "unprecedented, unconstitutional and unethical gift" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the poll panel. Banerjee, also the state chief minister, said she had never seen this type of EC which is "full of RSS people". "There is no such law and order problem in West Bengal that Article 324 can be clamped. It is unprecedented, unconstitutional and unethical. It is actually a gift to Modi and (BJP president) Amit Shah," she claimed in a press conference. West Bengal CM also said that goons were brought from outside, they created violence wearing saffron, violence similar to when Babri Masjid was demolished. Earlier in the day, in a hurriedly-convened press conference, Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar said it was for the first time that such an action has been taken using constitutional powers of the poll panel. The Election Commission (EC) also ordered the removal of Principal Secretary (Home) Atri Bhattacharya and Additional Director General, CID, Rajiv Kumar from their postings in West Bengal. The EC's action came a day after parts of Kolkata witnessed wide-spread violence during BJP president Amit Shah's massive roadshow in Kolkata. A bust of 19th century Bengali icon Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was also vandalised during the violence. BJP and TMC supporters clashed on the streets of Kolkata during a massive road show on Tuesday of Shah who had to cut short the event mid-way due to the violence. The violence apparently began after suspected TMC supporters hurled stones at the BJP convoy from inside the hostel of Vidyasagar College. Furious BJP workers retaliated and during the clash a bust of polymath and philosopher Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar inside the campus was damaged. The BJP and the TMC on Wednesday blamed each other for the incident. At a press conference in Delhi, Shah said it would have been difficult for him to survive the attack on his convoy but for the security of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).