EC should have done basic due diligence: TMC

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress on Thursday said that the Election Commission should have done "very basic due diligence" before issuing a showcause notice to party supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for violation of the model code of conduct.

"Thank you Election Commission for showcausing the Chief Minister. Before issuing a showcause notice to no less a person than the Chief Minister of the State (and one of India's most popular political icons), we only wish some very basic due diligence was done," TMC chief national spokesperson Derek O'Brien said in a statement

O'Brien said, "We learnt through the Press Conference that the EC has showcaused Mamata Banerjee for her comments made at a rally in Asansol. The apparent reason for the show cause is that she had promised to make Asansol into a new district which was against the EC model code of conduct."

Describing it as "ludicrous", he said, "The decision to make Asansol, Kalimpong, Basirhat, Sundarbans and Jhargram into different districts was taken up in the West Bengal Cabinet in December, 2015, four months ago. It was also discussed in the Assembly. This information is in the public domain and is common knowledge."

O'Brien said that the people who registered the complaint did not get their facts right. They have little or no knowledge of Bengal. They speak without knowing.

"We are not surprised. The political bias is obvious. A lot of this is cooked up by the Delhi babus. Now that they have given wrong facts shouldn't the EC ask them to clarify? Or apologize?" he asked.