West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had uttered an expletive while referring to PM Modi during her rally in Mathabhanga in Cooch Behar.
The West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for using offensive language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a public meeting in Cooch Behar on Thursday. It has sought immediate action to ensure the “dignity of the campaign” ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Mamata Banerjee had uttered an expletive while referring to the Prime Minister during her rally in Mathabhanga in Cooch Behar. Realising her gaffe soon after, she had also said that she was withdrawing her statement. The BJP also lodged a complaint highlighting the “offensive language” used by Trinamool Congress MLA Asit Mazumder against its Hooghly candidate Locket Chatterjee.
The letter signed by BJP leader Shishir Bajoria, who is in charge of interactions with the poll panel, read: “It was shocking to hear the use of the offensive word…by Smt Mamata Banerjee, the supremo of Trinamool Congress, who also happens to be the Chief Minister of the State, especially while referring to the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji (video clip of the Cooch Behar rally attached).”
“We draw your attention to the multiple guidelines issued by the Commission on maintaining dignity of the campaign. Repeated advisories have been issued to refrain from use of inappropriate, abusive at times, vocabulary against star campaigners of other political party(ies),” it added. “In complete disregard and disrespect to the majesty of the Commission, Smt Mamata Banerjee resorted to using offensive vocabulary even when referring to the Hon’ble Prime Minister…”
“Following in the footsteps of their party supremo, we have noticed many TMC campaigners using foul and offensive language, in some cases even when referring to a lady. As an example, we draw your attention to derogatory remarks made on 4th April by TMC MLA for Chunchura Shri Asit Mazumder, referring to our Lok Sabha candidate Smt Locket Chatterjee MP… at a public gathering,” it stated.
“Looking at the seriousness of the complaint, we request immediate appropriate action by the Commission to ensure the dignity of the campaign,” the letter appealed to the ECI.
The use of foul language on the election trail has been on the increase, even as the poll fever hots up. Recently, Dilip Ghosh, a former BJP State president and party candidate from Bardhaman-Durgapur seat, was reprimanded by the Election Commission as well as the BJP central leadership over his offensive remarks against Mamata Banerjee. The police have also lodged an FIR against Ghosh.