The West Bengal Congress on Wednesday lodged a complaint with the Election Commission, accusing former cricketer Yusuf Pathan who is contesting the Baharampur Lok Sabha seat as a Trinamool Congress candidate of violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The party accused the former cricketer of misusing posters of India’s winning moments in the 2011 Cricket World Cup for campaigning. Yusuf Pathan was a surprise candidate of Mamata Banerjee’s party which has pitted him against veteran Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury who is seeking re-election from the Baharampur seat.
“He is clearly misusing the images of our national icons like Sachin Tendulkar and others for his campaign. This cannot be allowed,” said Soumya Aich Roy, the State Congress spokesman.
In a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the State, the State Congress unit demanded stern action against the former cricketer and said using banners and posters of the cricket World Cup winning team is a gross violation of the MCC.
“This is to inform you that Yusuf Pathan, an All India Trinamool Congress candidate in the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections from Baharampur, West Bengal, has started using banners, posters, and photos in different places in the said constituency.
“These materials clearly depict the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 winning moments where the photos of our nation’s high-profile cricket celebrities are there including the likes of Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar and others,” the Congress said in the letter to the CEO, urging the EC to take appropriate and necessary action against Yusuf Pathan.