BJP seeks action against Mamata Banerjee for statement 'amounting to incite mutiny in CAPF'

The BJP on Monday complained to the Chief Electoral Officer accusing Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee of making a statement that amounts to incite "mutiny" in the central armed police force (CAPF) deployed in West Bengal for the assembly elections. Alleging that Banerjee, through her comment as published in a vernacular daily on Monday, has also violated provisions of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), the BJP called for action to be taken against her by the Election Commission.

The BJP claimed that at a public meeting in Nadia district, the chief minister appealed to the CAPF personnel "not to shoot on the orders of the BJP. They are today but will not remain tomorrow."

In its complaint to the CEO, the saffron party alleged that the statement casts aspersions on the authority of the Election Commission.


"The CAPF personnel during the election duty remain under the overall supervision of Commission and their superior officials deployed on ground," the BJP said, adding that political parties who are stakeholders in the elections have no command over the forces deployed.

"This amounts to incitement to mutiny in barely concealed language," the complaint by the BJP over Banerjee's alleged statement said.

The BJP claimed that Banerjee made the statement on Sunday in reference to the firing by CAPF in Cooch Behar district on April 10 during polling, "violating provisions of Model Code of Conduct and provisions of the Representation of People Act, 1951."

Four persons were killed in the firing which took place during the fourth phase of polling.

"The statement deserves to be condemned and much stricter action is to be taken against her," the BJP demanded in the complaint.

The Election Commission had banned Banerjee from campaigning for 24 hours last week over her remarks against central forces and a statement that had "religious overtones".