Sunday, December 14, 2025
ADVT 
India

Mamata's 'hate speech' against poll panel under scanner

Darpan News Desk, IANS, 09 Apr, 2014 10:24 AM
    The videos of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's speech, where she had cast aspersions on the functioning of the poll panel, would be forwarded to the Election Commission in Delhi for scrutiny, the state's chief electoral officer Sunil Gupta said Wednesday.
     
    According to Gupta, his office has asked the district magistrates (DM) of Burdwan and Hooghly for the official videos of Banerjee's comments where she had trained her guns on the Commission after it ordered the removal of eight officers from poll duty.
     
    "We have asked the DMs to send us the official videos of the comments. They will be sent to the Commission in Delhi where necessary action will be taken," he told reporters here.
     
    The poll panel Monday ordered the transfer of eight state officials, including five district police chiefs and one district magistrate, asking the state government to implement the order by Tuesday. Seven of the officials were removed from poll duty.
     
    Reacting angrily to the development, Banerjee Monday refused to carry out the instruction and said she was even prepared to go to jail. She also alleged that the Election Commission has hatched a conspiracy to facilitate rigging of the polls by the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party and the Communist Party of India-Marxist.
     
    She relented a day later, but said the officers will be reinstated in their old postings after the polls. She also terming the order "political vendetta".
     
    "We are not accepting it as the EC's order... rather accepting it as a constitutional obligation. For the time being we are accepting the removal of the officers but once the polls are over, they will return to their original places," Banerjee told media persons at Durgapur in Burdwan district Tuesday.
     
    She has also accused Deputy Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi of involvement in a scam.
     
    "There is a case against this man in Rajasthan involving a land scam. Even a non-bailable warrant was issued against him but he got it stayed by Supreme Court.
     
    "Why is this person in charge of election process in Bengal? Why a tainted person like him is allowed to function. We demand his immediate removal," said Banerjee who had attacked Zutshi on Monday too.
     
    The poll panel had remained adamant on its decision on the transfers and mandated the Banerjee government to comply its order by Wednesday.
     
    The government abided by the EC order during the day.

    MORE India ARTICLES

    Election Special: Should the media not applaud Kejriwal's anti corruption plank?

    Election Special: Should the media not applaud Kejriwal's anti corruption plank?
    It is true that every anti corruption movement in recent history has decisively shifted the centre of gravity of Indian politics yards to the right, as writers have asserted recently. Such campaigns have always had considerable media support

    Election Special: Should the media not applaud Kejriwal's anti corruption plank?

    Narendra Modi to contest Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi

    Narendra Modi to contest Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi
    BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi will contest the Lok Sabha polls from Varanasi, while party president Rajnath Singh will now fight from Lucknow, the BJP announced Saturday.

    Narendra Modi to contest Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi

    Battle For Amethi Turns Ugly: Kumar Vishwas's cavalcade attacked

    Battle For Amethi Turns Ugly: Kumar Vishwas's cavalcade attacked
    The motorcade of AAP leader Kumar Amethi was attacked late Friday in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi, police said. AAP blamed the Congress for the attack.

    Battle For Amethi Turns Ugly: Kumar Vishwas's cavalcade attacked

    Devyani Khobragade re-indicted in US visa fraud case

    Devyani Khobragade re-indicted in US visa fraud case
    Two days after a New York judge dismissed the visa fraud case against Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade, a US grand jury Friday again indicted her on same criminal charges

    Devyani Khobragade re-indicted in US visa fraud case

    Kejriwal threatens media in Nagpur, retracts after uproar

    Kejriwal threatens media in Nagpur, retracts after uproar
    Targeting the media again, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal alleged large sections of it were indulging in "paid publicity" favouring BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and threatening to jail them if his party won. He retracted Friday after his comments led to an uproar from media and political parties.

    Kejriwal threatens media in Nagpur, retracts after uproar

    2014 Election Special: Modi's Life Dominates Publishing Space

    2014 Election Special: Modi's Life Dominates Publishing Space
    BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's controversial political journey and secretive personal life has provided literary fodder to many authors to write on his "charismatic" personality and "controversial" past and books on him have been hot sellers in the past year.

    2014 Election Special: Modi's Life Dominates Publishing Space