EC bars BJP leader Rahul Sinha from campaigning for 48 hours, asks Dilip Ghosh to explain his ‘naughty boys’ remarks

By PTI
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Tuesday barred BJP leader Rahul Sinha from campaigning for 48 hours for his alleged remarks that central forces should have killed eight rather than four people in Sitalkuchi in West Bengal, saying his remarks mocked human life and were highly provocative.

The EC said he made “highly provocative statements mocking the human life, inciting the forces that could have serious law and order implications”.

The Commission found his remarks violative of the model code and various provisions of the Representation of the People Act and the Indian Penal Code.

The ban begins at 12 noon on Tuesday and will remain in force till 12 noon of April 15, the order said.

The EC said it decided to issue the order without giving any notice to Sinha due to urgency of the matter.

The poll panel took suo motu cognisance of Sinha’s remarks.

“The central forces have given them a befitting answer. If they do it again they will be dealt again in a befitting manner. The central forces should have killed eight persons instead of four in Sitalkuchi. The central forces should be issued a show-cause notice as to why they have killed only four of them,” the order quoted the text of Sinha’s speech after the incident.

“Commission hereby strongly condemns the above statements made by Rahul Sinha, BJP, and sternly warns him to be careful from using such statements while making public utterances during the period when Model Code of Conduct is in force,” according to the order.

Four men were killed at a booth in the Sitalkuchi assembly constituency in Cooch Behar during the fourth phase polling on April 10 as CISF personnel opened fire after coming under attack from locals who “attempted to snatch their rifles”.

The poll body also issued a notice to West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh for his alleged remarks that there would be “Sitalkuchi in several places”.

He has been asked to respond to the notice and make his stand clear on his remarks by Wednesday morning.

The Trinamool Congress had approached the Commission against Ghosh.

The notice cited Ghosh’s alleged remarks that “if someone crosses his limits then you have seen what happened in Sitalkuchi. There will be Sitalkuchi in several places.”

The eight-phase assembly polls in West Bengal are being held between March 27 and April 29.