EC serves showcause notice on Anil Basu

The Election Commission served a showcause notice on CPM leader Anil Basu for his remarks against Mamata Banerjee.

The Election Commission on Wednesday served a showcause notice on CPM leader Anil Basu for his remarks against Mamata Banerjee. The EC has asked Bose,the CPM Hooghly district commitee secretary,to explain by April 30 why action should not be taken against him.

On April 22,at an election rally in Hooghly,Basu made references to sex workers of Sonagachi and asked,Where is Mamata getting money from? Later,Trinamool leaders Partha Chaterjee and Mukul Roy filed a complaint with the chief electoral officer of West Bengal; the EC issued the notice after watching the CD and reading the transcript of the speech.

Basu has earned the ire of his party leaders too. Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has said the comments were unpardonable and unbecoming of a communist leader. Basu has since apologised for the comments.

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Following the showcase notice,the Trinamool Congress demanded Basus arrest. What more has he to say? The Election Commission should take cognisance of his letter admitting his guilt and take appropriate action, Trinamool leader Partha Chatterjee said.

Home Ministry releasing data selectively: CPM

NEW DELHI: After accusing Home Minister P Chidambaram of being partisan,the CPM today approached the Election Commission claiming the Home Ministry was selectively leaking information on poll-related violence in West Bengal to project the Left Front as the aggressor.

CPM leader Sitaram Yechury,who met Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi,cited media reports quoting Home Ministry officials as saying that 24 people have died in political clashes so far and that 12 were Trinamool Congress workers and five CPM cadres. This,Yechury said,was selective release of data aimed at influencing voters. The CPM also referred to campaign statements by Chidambaram about law and order in the state and contended these too were tantamount to influencing voters.

Yechury also sought a probe into the alleged use of black money by the Trinamool Congress,saying evidence has been submitted to the Bengal chief electoral officer. An EC team will be in Bengal on Thursday.