EC Reviews Gangopadhyay's Reply to Show-Cause Notice

Former Calcutta High Court judge and BJP candidate Abhijit Gangopadhyay responded to an Election Commission show-cause notice for making 'undignified' remarks against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Gangopadhyay was the fourth politician served notice for such comments; senior EC officials will review his reply.

Former Calcutta High Court judge and BJP's candidate Abhijit Gangopadhyay on Monday sent his reply to the show-cause notice issued by the EC for his ''undignified'' remark against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The poll panel 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.

''We have received his (Gangopadhyay's) reply today and forwarded it to the Delhi office,'' the official told PTI. The Election Commission had sought a response from Gangopadhyay by 5 PM on May 20.

Senior officials of the Election Commission would take a call after going through the former judge's reply to the show-cause notice, he said. The BJP has fielded Gangopadhyay from the Tamluk seat in West Bengal where voting will be held on May 25.

In its notice, the EC said Gangopadhyay's comment has been found to be ''beyond dignity in every sense of term'' and ''in bad taste'', and prima facie violative of the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct and its advisory to political parties. Gangopadhyay was the fourth politician in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections to have been served a notice for undignified remarks against women.

BJP's senior leader Dilip Ghosh and Congress' Supriya Shrinate were censured by the poll body after being served notices for their remarks against Mamata Banerjee and Kangana Ranaut respectively.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)