The Election Commission on Thursday came down heavily on the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the tone and content of its Wednesday letter to the constitutional body, saying it is “full of insinuations and averments” and it “undermines the very foundation of the Constitution”.
“It is completely incorrect to suggest that the Commission has taken over the law and order machinery in the state in the name of conducting elections and appropriated the whole governance structure, etc,” said the EC.
The EC was responding to a memorandum sent to it by a TMC delegation in regards to the incident that took place in Nandigram on Wednesday wherein West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee suffered injuries.
Speaking to reports in Nandigram after the incident, Banerjee had alleged that she was “attacked” and “pushed by four-five men”. Calling it a “conspiracy” against her, the CM also claimed that the local police did not provide her any security.
The EC, in its response, said that the incident involving the West Bengal CM is “indeed an unfortunate” and “needs to be inquired into with promptitude and dispatch”. The Commission, however added, “Having said that, it is rather unfortunate that the memorandum in question (sent by TMC) is full of insinuations and averments, which in fact questions the very basis of creation and function if the Election Commission.”
“This virtually tantamounts to undermine the very foundation and fabric of the Constitution of India, the most sacrosanct document in any democratic polity,” it said, adding: “It looks undignified even to respond to the allegations of all this being done on the behest of a particular political party, etc.”
Soon after the incident on Wednesday, the Commission sought a report from West Bengal Chief Secretary Allapan Bandyopadhyay, its general observer Ajay Naik and special police observer Vivek Dubey by 5 pm on Friday.
Meanwhile, the BJP requested the EC for a high-level probe into the alleged attack on Mamata Banerjee. BJP MP Locket Chatterjee termed the alleged attack on the CM as “a matter of humanity” and requested the EC for a high-level probe into the matter, adding that BJP does not want any politics over it. “How did the incident take place under surveillance of Z+ security? We request high-level investigation. We do not want politics over this, it is a matter of humanity,” she said.
CM Mamata Banerjee was hospitalised after she was injured during her campaign in Nandigram, from where she also filed her nomination for the upcoming Assembly elections.
Doctors said, “She has suffered severe bone injuries in her left ankle and foot and mild injuries in her right shoulder, forearm and neck.” Although her condition is stated to be “stable”, the doctors are planning to conduct a series of medical tests, including a CT scan, to assess the degree of her injuries.
With the Assembly elections around the corner, Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress (TMC) have claimed a conspiracy behind the incident, while the BJP alleged that this was “tactics to gain sympathy.”
A delegation of BJP leaders on Thursday also visited the SSKM Hospital in Kolkata where the Chief Minister is undergoing treatment. However, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, who also visited the hospital on Wednesday night to check on her health, had to face “go-back” slogans from TMC supporters. Several other leaders like Arvind Kejriwal, Tejaswi Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav from across the country have condemned the alleged attack on CM Banerjee.
WITH AGENCY INPUTS