EC Bans Mamata For 24 Hours: Is it Undemocratic?
By A Special Correspondent
First publised on 2021-04-12 16:33:29
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The Election Commission (EC) has banned West Bengal chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee from campaigning for 24 hours for violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), which she has already termed as the Modi Code of Conduct. In her typical combative fashion, Banerjee announced her decision to sit on a dharna at the Gandhi statue in central Kolkata on Tuesday.
The Trinamool Congress quickly seized on the EC order to call it partisan, while Mamata called it "undemocratic and unconstitutional". TMC MP Derek O'Brien called it "a black day in our democracy". The order came after the EC was not satisfied with Mamata's reply to the notice it has sent to her after she appealed to Muslim voters not to divide their votes. Since the EC decided that she had appealed to a religious community to vote on the basis of their religion, it slapped the ban.
Continuing its attack on the EC for taking partisan decisions that often went against the party, O'Brien said EC stood for "extremely compromised". In the highly charged campaign in West Bengal, both the TMC and the BJP are making extremely provocative and unseemly statements and comments that can be considered a violation of the MCC. The EC has its hands full but has not issued too many restraining orders. But perhaps Banerjee's appeal along religious lines was too much to ignore. Still, since it was the first time she had made such an appeal, the EC could have ended the matter by issuing a stern warning.
But once the order has been issued, it is not right on part of the TMC to lambast the EC. If it is aggrieved by the order, it can seek a judicial review. But by calling the EC names and attributing motives to it, the TMC is weakening the institution further. The EC has its shortcomings but is doing a commendable job. The TMC should approach the Supreme Court to find out if the EC is wrong in its judgment on Mamata's appeal to Muslim voters. Maybe she will not be able to campaign for 24 hours as the Supreme Court will not decide on the matter in such a short time, but it can be vindicated if it gets a favourable order from the court.
