West Bengal Assembly Elections | Election Commission bars BJP, Trinamool leaders from campaigning for 24 hours

It comes down on their comments on Sitalkuchi in one case and Scheduled Castes in the other

Logo of Election Commission of India in New Delhi. File

The Election Commission on Sunday barred two leaders, one from the BJP and another from the TMC, from campaigning for 24 hours beginning 7 p.m. on Sunday.

The EC issued notice to West Bengal BJP general secretary Sayantan Basu for his remarks on the Sitalkuchi deaths. It sternly warned Mr. Basu and “strongly advised him to desist from using such statement while making public utterances when the Model Code of Conduct is in force”.

Earlier, State president Dilip Ghosh and former president Rahul Sinha had been barred from campaigning for remarks about .

TMC leader Sujata Mondal, who contested the poll from Arambagh, had made remarks at the Scheduled Castes. The Commission had issued notice to her for “denigrating the Scheduled Caste community in West Bengal”.

“Now, therefore, the Commission hereby sternly warns Sujata Mondal and advises her to desist from using such statement while making public utterances when the Model Code of Conduct is in force.”