West Claiming Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spoke on the issue of the Campaign ban on Mayawati and Yogi Adityanath from the Election Commission. She said that both different agendas when they made statements. While BSP chief spoke from her heart, the UP Chief Minister's remarks were more dangerous in nature, is what she said.
While speaking to News18, Banerjee said that the Election Commission is an impartial institution, and she doesn't want to question its actions but also made it clear that the two leaders, issued campaign bans by the poll body, made their statements for different reasons.
The EC had imposed a 72-hour campaign ban on the UP CM in light of his communal statements comparing the Lok Sabha elections to a contest between 'Ali' and ‘Bajrang Bali’. He had then referred to the Muslim League as a “green virus”, inviting the backlash from the Opposition. The poll body had also imposed a 48-hour ban on BSP supremo Mayawati for her Deoband speech in which she apparently appealed to the Muslim voters to not split their votes.
On being asked about her views on the matter, she said that she would not comment on it as the SC has already ruled on it but further expressed her opinion that the decisions taken by the EC are usually whatever the BJP wants it to do. But in the same vein, she said she would want to refrain from commenting on the constitutional institution. “I respect it,” she said.
Banerjee, in the past not shied from criticizing the EC and even slammed it earlier this month for its decision to transfer four police officials, including Kolkata Commissioner Anuj Sharma.
Accusing it of unfairly following the ruling BJP’s orders, Banerjee described the decision as unfortunate, “highly arbitrary, motivated and biased”, and demanded that the Election Commission reconsider the transfer order.
For a while now, the role of EC has come under criticism by the opposition parties, who have alleged that it has failed to check violations of the Model Code of Conduct.