Attacking SEC similar to insulting Constitution: Abu Hasem, Union minister

MALDA: Referring to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's frequent attacks against the State Election Commission (SEC), Union minister Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury today said "insulting" a constitutional body was similar to insulting the Constitution.

"The chief minister should restrain herself from attacking the SEC, as everyone in the country has to abide by the Constitution," Chowdhury told reporters here.

The senior Congress leader said the state government should cooperate with the SEC in holding the panchayat election in a free and fair manner.

"But what the people were seeing was a clash between Mamata Banerjee led Trinamool Congress government and the SEC, which was 'unprecedented'," said the minister of State for Health.

He advised Banerjee to keep in mind that she would need the help of the Centre in developing the state.

The state government is loggerhead with the SEC over holding the panchayat polls in the state. The issues of providing security force and the polling dates were finally settled in the Supreme Court.