Doesn’t matter even if I get 10 EC notices: Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s response comes a day after ECI sent a notice to Banerjee, asking her to respond within 48 hours on her appeal to the Muslim community not to split their votes among different political parties.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday challenged the Election Commission of India on the notice sent to her by the poll body over her remark urging Muslim community members not to split their votes, saying it “doesn’t matter” if she is sent 10 more such notices and that she will continue to oppose the division of voters along religious lines.

Banerjee said ECI could do nothing against her, and alleged that the body has not taken action against other leaders. (PTI)

“Listen carefully. It doesn’t matter even if I am served 10 show-cause notices. My answer will be same. I am telling everyone. There will be no split in votes. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians vote in a united manner. Don’t cast a single vote in their (BJP) favour... I will always stand against division of voters along religious lines,” Banerjee said while addressing a rally at Domjur in Howrah district.

She said ECI could do nothing against her, and alleged that the body has not taken action against other leaders. “How many complaints have been filed against Prime Minister Narendra Modi? He does Hindu-Muslim everyday. How many complaints have been filed against those people who referred to Nandigram’s Muslims as Pakistanis?” Her reference is to several comments made by her protege-turned-foe Suvendu Adhikari

Banerjee’s response comes a day after ECI sent a notice to Banerjee, asking her to respond within 48 hours on her appeal to the Muslim community not to split their votes among different political parties. “The commission gives you an opportunity to explain your stand in making the statement within 48 hours of receipt of the notice, failing which the commission shall take a decision without further reference to you,” the notice on Wednesday said.

At an election rally at Tarakeshwar in Hooghly on April 3, Banerjee appealed urged Muslim voters to not let their votes get split among different political parties. “I appeal to my minority brothers and sisters with folded hands. Don’t split the minority votes listening to the devil, who is moving around with BJP’s money. He makes many communal statements and triggers clashes between Hindus and Muslims,” she said.

Soon after the April 3 rally, a BJP delegation lodged a complaint with ECI alleging that Banerjee was demanding votes on “communal grounds”.

ECI seems to have agreed and asked Banerjee to explain her comments; she has until Friday to do so.

The BJP on Thursday criticised Banerjee’s response.

“She has to give an explanation to ECI. She is not above the law. There is a difference in what she said today and what she said on April 3. Today she has appealed to all sections [not to split their votes]. Earlier she urged the Muslims to not allow a split in their votes, for which she was served a notice. If she has the guts, she should repeat that,” said Jay Prakash Majumdar, state vice president of the BJP.

The high-octane campaign ahead of the fourth phase of the Bengal assembly election came to an end on Thursday evening; 44 assembly constituencies in six districts, including Kolkata, in south Bengal and north Bengal will vote in the fourth phase of polling on April 10.

On Thursday, Banerjee also resumed criticism of the paramilitary forces on poll duty and alleged that voters were being intimidated by them.

“I have respect for the central paramilitary forces but they are working on instructions from Delhi. They are committing atrocities on villagers before polling day... They are asking people to vote for the BJP. We will not allow this to continue,” the TMC chief said in Balagarh.

She added at another rally in Hooghly’s Sreerampore later: “I would just like to tell them that they shouldn’t threaten the people on the instructions of the BJP. [Union home minister] Amit Shah has sent them and has asked them to threaten villagers to vote in BJP’s favour.”

The BJP reacted sharply to Banerjee’s accusations and said the TMC chief was “insulting” the forces.

“Even a few years ago Banerjee placed her faith on central forces and the ECI. Now she is abusing and insulting them. This proves that she has become jittery and is certain of her defeat. These won’t help her in anyway as the people of Bengal have decided to oust the TMC,” said BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya.

Meanwhile, BJP’s state president Dilip Ghosh, while addressing a public rally in north Bengal, said today: “Those who are still implicating (BJP workers and supporters) in false cases will have to go to either Assam or Tripura or find a place in Bangladesh after the elections.”

“We have not received any complaints yet. The commission will check,” a senior ECI official said.

Polling in the state, which is being held in eight phases, began on March 27 and will continue till April 29.