EC debars BJP's Abhijit Gangopadhyay from campaigning for 24 hours for comments on Mamata
Kolkata (PTI): The Election Commission on Tuesday censured former Calcutta High Court judge and BJP candidate Abhijit Gangopadhyay for his comment against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and debarred him from campaigning for 24 hours.
The EC described Gangopadhyay's remark as a "low-level personal attack", asserting that he violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
The EC order would be effective from 5 pm on Tuesday.
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 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 poll body also warned Gangopadhyay, the BJP's Tamluk candidate, to remain careful in his public utterances during the campaign.
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.
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Death toll in Mundathikode fireworks explosion rises to 16
Thrissur (Kerala) (PTI): One more person who had been hospitalised following the Mundathikode fireworks explosion died at Thrissur Medical College on Sunday, police said.
With this, the death toll in the incident has risen to 16.
According to Thrissur Medical College police, the deceased has been identified as Unnikrishnan from Edappal, who was among the 38 persons present at the fireworks manufacturing unit in Mundathikode where the explosions occurred on April 21.
Police said Unnikrishnan had suffered over 80 per cent burns and had remained in critical condition.
The condition of the two other injured persons remains critical, police said.
Of the 38 persons present at the site, 16 have died, while four remain missing.
The fireworks were being manufactured for Thiruvambady Devaswom as part of the Thrissur Pooram festivities.
The licensee of the unit had also suffered burn injuries and had died earlier.
