EC seeks report from CEO on Mamata’s ‘provocative’ remarks

New Delhi: election committee West Bengal’s chief electoral officer was asked on Friday to provide a report on the chief minister’s recent statement Mamata Banerjee At a public meeting in Darjeeling’s Naxalbari, local women were allegedly incited to go to polling stations and use household kitchen supplies to deal with “necessary situations”.Since her remarks were seen as provoking TMC women workers and supporters to launch attacks on polling stations in rural areas, posing a risk to the Central Armed Police Forces deployed there who would face criminal charges if they interfered and stopped them, the EC will examine whether the remarks amounted to provocation and interfered with polling stations and security personnel in performing their duties. If so, is it worth taking action for breach of the Model Code and other laws including BNS and RP Act.In a video clip of a public meeting in Naxalbari on Wednesday, Mamata can be heard saying, “Women in West Bengal must take special action this time to protect polling stations from the morning of polling day. If you want five years of peace in West Bengal, you have to protect polling stations for one day to prevent outsiders from rigging elections. Take to the streets with what you have at home”.Meanwhile, an FIR has been lodged against those accused in the violence that broke out at Basanti Bazar in Barupur police district on Thursday in which several people, including police personnel, were injured. The accused has been arrested.The EC had earlier suspended Inspector-in-Charge Avijit Paul of Basanti PS for failure to make proper police arrangements despite having prior information about public schemes of both political parties. Additionally, CAPF has been made available over the past few days. Despite this, he did not apply to the Armed Police Force. “This reflects gross negligence and dereliction of duty on his part,” the EC observed.