Election Commission notice to Mamata Banerjee for 'communal' appeal

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Wednesday issued a notice to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for allegedly seeking votes on "communal grounds" during a political rally in the state.

The poll panel has asked the TMC supremo for an explanation within the next 48 hours.

During an election rally in Hooghly on April 3, Mamata had urged Muslim voters to vote en bloc for her party.

"I appeal to my minority brothers and sisters with folded hands. That shaitan (devil) who is fighting with the BJP's money... do not listen to him and let minority votes be divided," Banerjee said at a rally in Hooghly's Tarakeswar.

Following her speech, the BJP approached the Election Commission and sought action against Banerjee.

It alleged that Mamata had violated the Representation of the People's Act by asking Muslims to come together and vote for her party in the assembly polls.

Prime Minister NarendraModi later targeted Mamata at an election rally, saying that her appeal to Muslim voters shows that the TMC chief is losing the support of minority voters.

"Didi recently asked all Muslims to vote en bloc for her. It shows that the Muslim vote bank is slipping out of her hands. Had we said the same thing that all Hindus should unite, everybody would have criticised us. The EC would have sent us notices. We would have been censured," he had said. (IANS)

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