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

West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh has been handed down a 24-hour campaign ban by the Election Commission of India for his “provocative” and “inciteful” comments on the Cooch Behar firing deaths.

Ghosh had spoken about “naughty boys” being given a “befitting reply” in Sitalkuchi by the central forces.

He was served a show-cause notice by the ECI for prima facie violation of the model code of conduct and provisions of the Representation of People’s Act as well as the Indian Penal code.


He is the third BJP leader to get an EC reprimand for controversial and provocative comments on the April 10 poll violence in West Bengal.

A 48-hour ban was earlier imposed on BJP’s Rahul Sinha for similar comments. He was not given time to explain his comments due to “urgency of the matter”.

Alongside, a show-cause notice was issued to BJPs’ Sayantan Basu for an “inflammatory” statement he made at a rally in Baranagar.

Basu had referred to the killings in Cooch Behar and hinted at retribution for lynching of an 18-year-old in the same district.

He has been given 24 hours to reply.

Four people were killed when Central Industrial Security Force personnel opened fire in “self-defence” in Sitalkuchi’s booth 126 on April 10, allegedly after coming under attack from locals who “attempted to snatch their rifles”.