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West Bengal: EC imposes 48-hour ban on BJP’s Rahul Sinha for 'inciting forces'

Written by Prashasti Singh, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Apr 13, 2021 02:11 PM IST

The leader had made "inflammatory" remarks over Cooch Behar firing incident that claimed the lives of four unarmed civilians

The Election Commission of India (ECI) barred Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rahul Sinha from campaigning for 48 hours over his "highly provocative" statements during a speech that was telecast on a news channel. The ECI said Sinha made "highly provocative statements mocking the human life, inciting the forces that could have serious law and order implications thereby adversely affecting the election process."

BJP leader Rahul Sinha

The poll body, which has asked the leader to explain his stand by 10am tomorrow, said in the order that it had decided not to give any notice to the leader "due to the urgency of the matter."

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The BJP leader had made "inflammatory" remarks over the Cooch Behar firing incident that claimed the lives of four unarmed civilians.

"The Central forces have given them a befitting answer. If they do it again they will be dealt again in a befitting manner. The Central forces should have killed eight persons instead of four in Shitalkuchi. The Central forces should be issued a show cause notice as to why they have killed only four of them," Sinha said.

In a statement similar to this, BJP leader Dilip Ghosh had said more Cooch Behar-like killings may happen in the next phase of assembly elections if "naughty boys like the ones who died in Sitalkuchi" try to take the law into their hands.

On Monday, the Trinamool Congress wrote a letter to the ECI, urging it to take strict action against the BJP leaders who were "instigating" violence with their warnings of more Cooch Behar-like episodes".

The letter to the poll body was signed by TMC MPs Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Derek O'Brien.

 
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