Bengal polls: Trinamool approaches ECI accusing Assam CM of making derogatory comments about Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata, April 18 The Trinamool Congress on Saturday approached the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing the Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of making "divisive, inciteful statements along with defamatory and unverified allegations" targeting the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

In the letter, Trinamool Congress had referred to a public statement made by Assam Chief Minister Sarma at a campaign rally in Cooch Behar district, where the latter allegedly said that when Mamata Banerjee expressed apprehension that if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would come to power in the state, the people of West Bengal will not be able to consume meat as she was actually worried only about beef and not chicken, mutton or fish.

According to the ruling party, such a statement by Assam Chief Minister Sarma was not only an inappropriate political rhetoric but also constituted a deliberate and calculated act of promoting religious hatred and fostering communal tension between different communities of West Bengal.

The Trinamool Congress had also accused Himanta Biswa Sarma of making baseless and inflammatory statements that the Muslim population in West Bengal has been opening beef shops in Hindu areas and smuggling beef, which were allegedly intended to create a narrative of suspicion and hostility against an entire religious community.

"Such rhetoric demonises a religious group, portraying them as a threat to public order, and encourages stigmatisation of minority communities. The aforesaid statements shall suffocate the peaceful conduct of elections and foment social unrest, leading to serious law and order problems," the letter from Trinamool Congress submitted at the office of the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), said.

In the letter, Trinamool Congress had requested the ECI to issue a show-cause notice to CM Sarma and the BJP and to take appropriate and stringent action against the Assam Chief Minister for making communally charged and provocative statements.

The ruling party in West Bengal had also requested the ECI to direct the police authorities concerned to register a First Information Report (FIR) immediately against Assam CM Sarma for the commission of offences.

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