In unprecedented action, EC curtails WB campaigning after Kolkata violence
   Date :16-May-2019

 
NEW DELHI;
 
Campaigning to end today at 10 pm, a day before its scheduled deadline 
 
IN FIRST such action in India’s electoral history, the Election Commission on Wednesday ordered campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies to end at 10 pm on Thursday, a day before its scheduled deadline, in the wake of violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata. In a hurriedly-convened press conference, Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar said it was for the first time that such an action has been taken using constitutional powers of the poll panel. The Election Commission (EC) also ordered the removal of Principal Secretary (Home) Atri Bhattacharya and Additional Director General, CID, Rajiv Kumar from their postings in West Bengal.
 
The EC’s action came a day after parts of Kolkata witnessed wide-spread violence during BJP President Amit Shah’s massive roadshow in Kolkata. A bust of 19th century Bengali icon Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was also vandalised during the violence. “This is for the first time such a measure has been taken using the EC’s constitutional powers. But this is not going to be the last,” Kumar said, referring to curtailment of campaigning period. The EC also expressed “deep anguish” over the vandalisation of the bust and hope that the culprits will be arrested soon.
 
The EC invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to curtail the campaigning for the last phase of the election on May 19. The constituencies where campaigning has been curtailed are -- Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin and Kolkata Uttar. The order on curtailment of the campaigning was signed by Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and fellow commissioners Ashok Lavasa and Sushil Chandra. The vandalisation of Vidyasagar’s bust and clashes during Shah’s roadshow in Kolkata triggered a fierce blame game between BJP and the Trinamool Congress. FIR against Shah a mockery of democracy: Rajnath: UNION Home Minister Rajnath Singh accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Government of misusing the State machinery to intimidate BJP leaders and workers.
 
The reaction came a day after the Kolkata Police registered a FIR against BJP President Amit Shah in connection with the violence during his roadshow on Tuesday. Classic case of breakdown of Constitutional machinery in WB: Jaitley on EC action: THE Election Commission cutting down campaign period in West Bengal shows there is a classic case of breakdown of the Constitutional machinery in the State, Arun Jaitley said. A constitutional authority, the Election Commission of India, has effectively held West Bengal to be a “state in anarchy”, said Jaitley in series of tweets. Repeatedly escalating violence, state supported vandals, a partisan police and home department are the illustrations the ECI has given, he noted.
 
BJP meets Vice President over violence
 
NEW DELHI:
 
A BJP delegation, comprising several ministers and parliamentarians, on Wednesday met Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu over the violence during party chief Amit Shah’s roadshow in Kolkata and sought his intervention. The party delegation, which included Union Ministers Prakash Javadekar, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Vijay Goel, also referred to “murderous” attack on Shah during the roadshow on Tuesday and alleged the involvement of the State’s ruling Trinamool Congress. Prakash Javadekar told reporters that protection of Rajya Sabha members is a responsibility of the House and its Chairman, and the party leaders urged Naidu to intervene in the matter.