Bagdogra (West Bengal) [India], September 25 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nisith Pramanik launched a sharp attack on Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee, claiming that her "mental state is not sound" and alleging that the TMC had formed governments in the past by relying on fake voters.
Responding to recent remarks made by Mamata Banerjee, Pramanik stated that the Bharatiya Janata Party strictly adheres to constitutional governance and the rule of law.
"Mamata Banerjee is unwell; her mental state is not sound. The BJP believes in the politics of peace; its government upholds the rule of law and the Constitution, and respects the people's mandate," Pramanik told reporters.
Further targeting the TMC over electoral practices, he added, "The BJP did not come to power through fake or ghost voters, unlike the Trinamool Congress, which formed the government three times over the last fifteen years relying on such voters."
Pramanik also commended the Election Commission of India (ECI) for weeding out duplicate and ineligible entries from the electoral rolls, calling it a significant triumph for the state's citizens.
"The way the Election Commission of India identified these individuals and kept them away from the voting process is undoubtedly a victory for the people of Bengal. Mamata Didi cannot stomach this victory, which is why she is making such irrational statements," he added.
Earlier on September 23, reacting to The Indian Express report, Mamata Banerjee alleged that the poll machinery had been compromised by deploying partisan officials aligned with the BJP, calling the revelations an unprecedented scandal in the nation's electoral history.
"This is such a scandalous story. We had never seen this in our lives. This Election Commissioner must be arrested. He has no moral authority to continue, and the BJP must see that they cannot destroy our Constitution. They cannot demolish democracy", Banerjee said, while addressing a press conference.
"They cannot depute their own EROs in the name of the BJP IT team. What we had said earlier has now been completely exposed. Gyanesh Kumar has misused the police and, in coordination with the BJP, they have deputed their own BJP-minded people across the system. Such a scandal has never happened before," she remarked.
Mounting a fierce personal attack on the Chief Election Commissioner, Banerjee asserted that he should step down and face legal accountability.
"If you have any honour left, you yourself would ask to be arrested. You should be arrested," she said.
Meanwhile, responding to the Express' report, the Election Commission, in a statement, said that all orders by the body carry full legal sanction and any queries raised by members at the stage of drafting procedures were standard practice.
"The ECI is a constitutional body that functions under the strict mandate of Article 324 of the Constitution, statutory rules and established institutional conventions. The Commission operates as a multi-member constitutional body. Written notes, observations, technical suggestions and internal checks-and-balances are standard, ongoing practices designed to ensure complete transparency, legal compliance and operational rigour. All actions of ECI have been in accordance of laws and instructions of the Commission. All official orders, decisions and administrative directions issued by the Commission carry full legal sanctions and follow established statutory procedures... Any operational queries or inputs raised by Commission members during draft stages are part of standard administrative practice aimed at safeguarding voter rights. The suggestions given by the Commissioners were for further improving the electoral processes," it said. (ANI)
"Mental state not sound": BJP's Nisith Pramanik hits back at Mamata Banerjee over remarks on CEC
