Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Wednesday, May 15 questioned the Election Commission’s decision to ban poll campaigns in West Bengal from Thursday 10 pm following violence created by Trinamool and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers.
Yechury asked why the commission has not initiated any action against the individuals who created violence in the eastern state. He also underlined whether the decision to stop the campaign 72 hours before the elections was taken to allow Modi’s two rallies scheduled on Thursday.
The CPI (M) general secretary posted a series of tweets.
The decision by EC to stop campaigning a day in advance is not understood. The first thing being expected by EC was action against the lumpen elements of BJP and TMC for violence yesterday. Why has no action been initiated? #Bengal
— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) May 15, 2019
If a ban is intended for 72 hours, why is it starting at 10pm tomorrow? Is it to allow the two rallies of the PM before that? https://t.co/wn6MqmmrhD
— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) May 15, 2019
We have made several complaints and written so many letters about violations and breakdown of law and order with impunity in Bengal, on which there has been no response. https://t.co/e6IrfQxpBL
— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) May 15, 2019
On the fears of violation cited in the letter issued by the EC, where is the redressal mechanism if there is accumulation of arms or any other violation? So far there has been no action by the EC. This silence by them is widely considered as benefitting the ruling parties. https://t.co/pV3lilzrhy
— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) May 15, 2019
If there are claims made by both sides, why has EC not released the video recorded by the official EC videographer of the incident? That should have been the first step, as demanded by our state Secretary @mishra_surjya before naming the culprits & punishing them pic.twitter.com/Cn9wRw2l4L
— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) May 15, 2019
On Monday, violence erupted in Kolkata during Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah’s rally. Trinamool supporters clashed with BJP supporters and a statue of reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was also vandalised, allegedly by BJP workers.