Election Commission imposes 24-hour campaign ban on BJP's Dilip Ghosh over his Sitalkuchi remarks

The Election Commission on Thursday evening imposed a 24hour campaign ban on the BJPs West Bengal president Dilip Ghosh for his there will be Sitalkuchi in several places remarksThe Commission sternly warned Ghosh and advised him to desist from using such statements while making public utterances during the period when the Model Code of Conduct is in force the order saidFour people were killed in a firing incident by CISF personnel in the Sitalkuchi Assembly seat during the fourth phase of polls in West Bengal on Saturday Officials had said the jawans opened fire after they came under attack from localsThe ban on Ghosh will be in effect from 7 pm April 15 to 7 pm April 16 during which Ghosh will not be allowed to campaign The order said Ghosh made highly provocative and inciteful remarks which could adversely impact law and order thereby adversely affecting the election processThe Commission had on Tuesday issued a notice to Ghosh for his alleged remarks after four people were killed when central forces opened fire during polling at Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar district The Trinamool Congress had approached the Commission against GhoshThe notice cited Ghoshs alleged remarks that if someone crosses his limits then you have seen what happened in Sitalkuchi There will be Sitalkuchi in several places In his reply to the notice Ghosh said electionrelated violence witnessed in West Bengal is distinctiveHe alleged in his reply that an environment of fear and intimidation has been created by the leaders of the All India Trinamool Congress jeopardising the conduct of free fair and peaceful pollsAs the state party president it was his solemn duty to stand by his party workers and encourage voters to cast the ballot without fear Ghosh said adding that it was never his intention to make any statement which would be in contravention of the model code the electoral laws or the Indian Penal CodeHis statement was only directed at the miscreants and antisocials who create disturbances and negatively impact the maintenance of law and order he told the panel He also regretted his remarksThe highoctane assembly election campaign in the state where the BJP and the Trinamool Congress have unleashed a noholdsbarred attack against each other has seen the EC clamping down on leaders of both parties for their objectionable utterancesOn Monday the poll panel barred West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee from campaigning for 24 hours for her remarks against central forces and a statement that allegedly had religious overtonesOn Tuesday the EC had barred BJP leader Rahul Sinha from campaigning for 48 hours over his provocative remarks on the killing of four people in firing by CISF personnel during the Sitalkuchi poll violenceThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever