EC issues 24 hrs campaigning ban to BJP’s Dilip Ghosh over Sitalkuchi violence remark

KOLKATA

The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday imposed a 24-hour ban on West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh from election campaigning for making “highly provocative and inciteful remarks” in connection with Sitalkuchi violence.

In its order, the Commission sternly warned Ghosh and advised him to desist from using such statement while making public utterances during the period when the Model Code of Conduct is in force. The ban imposed on Ghosh will be valid till 16 April. The EC has issued a notice to Ghosh on Tuesday over his remark on the killings of four men at Sitalkuchi in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar district and asked him to clarify his stance on the issue by 10 am on Wednesday.

Ghosh had remarked that there will be a “Sitalkuchi-like incident everywhere”. After his reply, the Commission noted that it has “carefully considered the reply of Dilip Ghosh and is of the considered view that he has violated clauses (1) and (4) of Part I of ‘General Conduct of Model Code of Conduct for the guidance of political parties and candidates’ and made highly provocative and inciteful remarks which could adversely impact law and order thereby affecting the election process”.

In his reply, the BJP state president had submitted that “it was never his intention to make any statement which would be in contravention of the Model Code of Conduct and the Representation of People Act/Indian Penal Code”.