BJP's Abhijit Gangopadhyay barred from campaigning for remarks on CM Mamata, urges EC to reconsider order
"I have written to the EC to reconsider its decision. If the order is not reconsidered, I will move the court at a suitable time to quash the order," he said.
Abhijit Gangopadhyay and Mamata Banerjee (PTI)
KOLKATA: Hours after the Election Commission debarred him from campaigning for 24 hours, BJP's Tamluk candidate Abhijit Gangopadhyay said he has written to the ECI, urging the poll panel to reconsider the decision.
Speaking to a vernacular news channel, the former Calcutta High Court judge said that he would move the court to quash the order if the EC does not reconsider its decision.
"I have written to the EC to reconsider its decision. If the order is not reconsidered, I will move the court at a suitable time to quash the order," he said.
The EC on Tuesday censured Gangopadhyay for his comment on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and debarred him from campaigning for 24 hours.
The commission's order would be effective from 5 pm on Tuesday.
The EC described Gangopadhyay's remark as a "low-level personal attack", asserting that he violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
Gangopadhyay on Monday sent his reply to the show-cause notice issued by the EC for his "undignified" remark against Banerjee.
"The commission has carefully gone through the contents and averments made in the aforesaid reply of Abhijit Gangopadhyay and has again gone through the statement made and is convinced that he has made a low-level personal attack and thus violated the provisions of the MCC.
"Now, therefore, the commission hereby strongly censures Gangopadhyay for the above-said misconduct and debars him from campaigning for 24 hours starting from 5 pm of May 21," the order said.
The EC acted on a complaint by the Trinamool Congress against Gangopadhyay for his remarks against Banerjee while addressing a public meeting held on May 15 in Haldia.
In a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal, TMC leader Derek O’Brien said, "In the said speech, Gangopadhyay has made certain highly offensive utterances, being: 'Mamata Banerjee, how much are you being sold for? Your rate is 10 lakhs, why?...Mamata Banerjee, is she even a woman? I keep wondering sometimes."