Kolkata: The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday issued a notice to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sayantan Basu for delivering an inflammatory statement, which is “an open threat to Bengal and its people”.
The EC asked Basu to explain his stand regarding his statement within 24 hours, failing which the Commission “shall take a decision without further reference to you”. According to the quote attached in EC’s statement, Basu said: “… I, Sayanatan Basu, am here to tell you that don’t try to play too much. We will play the game of Sitalkuchi. They killed 18 year old Ananda Barman, a first time voter, in the morning. He was the brother of the BJP’s Shakti Pramukh. We did not have to wait for long… (barely audible) Four of them were known the way to heaven. There was a dialogue in the film ‘Sholey’ you know – if you kill one we will kill four of you. Sitalkuchi witnessed it – if you kill one we will kill four of you.”