As if Article 356 has been imposed in Bengal; no action against PM & Amit Shah, only notices against me: Mamata Banerjee
Banerjee referred to the poll body without mentioning the EC by name
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Friday said that it appeared as if Article 356 has been implemented in West Bengal and the Election Commission was not paying heed to her party’s allegations. She was speaking at an election rally in East Burdwan’s Jamalpur and did not mention the Election Commission by name, but referred to the notices by the poll body seeking explanation from her for allegedly flouting the model code of conduct.
President’s rule is the suspension of state government and imposing direct Union government in a state under Article 356 of the Constitution, when the Union government takes direct control of the state machinery.
“The Prime Minister violates the model code of conduct, but nothing is done. Amit Shah is coming here and saying all kinds of things, but even that is not violation. They are not listening to us, but it doesn’t matter to me, because I connect with people,” Banerjee said today, adding that it seemed that Article 356 had been imposed in Bengal. “Even in the last election (2019 Lok Sabha polls), they did not allow me to campaign on the last day, they do it because they don’t have power over me as people are with me,” she said.
Banerjee asked, “How is the BJP related to you? Three persons are controlling everything.”
Referring to what she said on the Central paramilitary forces, Banerjee said, “I will talk about the CRPF if they are biased towards the BJP. If not, then I salute them. I salute the paramilitary forces.” The Trinamool chief said that she would not however, salute Amit Shah even if she were to die. “They are doing everything possible to destroy the Trinamool Congress. But they can’t because people are with me. Try and see what people are saying,” she said.
Banerjee also spoke of hundreds of people who had died in the riots of Gujarat and Delhi, “and never got justice”.
On Friday, Banerjee was asked by the EC to explain her comments at a rally asking people to “gherao” Central paramilitary forces. Earlier, she was asked to explain her comments on what the poll body deemed as “openly demanding votes on communal grounds” while campaigning in Hooghly district.
Comments are closed.