NEW DELHI: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has targeted the Election Commission of India, holding up the example of Bangladesh, which had its elections recently. “See how Bangladesh conducted elections peacefully,” she has said, sparking a row.
Addressing the media at the state secretariate Nabanna in Kolkata, Banerjee said: “The election in Bangladesh had been concluded peacefully. Everybody thought there will be violence. But it was done peacefully”.
But while India is a democratic county, its Election Commission with its “threat culture, will bulldoze democracy,” she said.
Banerjee was vocal against the Election Commission. Clarifying the government’s position on the seven suspended officials, she said, “They will work. They will do other work besides election work. They will do good work in the district. They are not being fired.”
Banerjee’s question to the Election Commission was: “What is the reason for suspending the EROs? What is their crime?”
“If someone had done something wrong, it could have been reported to the state,” The Chief Minister said. “We politely followed the Commission’s instructions. But they were not given a chance to defend themselves before being punished,” she said.
Claiming that she personally knows some of the officers involved, she said they worked hard day and night.
