LS polls: WB CEO files FIR against Union Minister Babul Supriyo for violating Model Code of Conduct

The state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ariz Aftab on Wednesday filed an FIR against Union Minister Babul Supriyo on the complaint of Trinamool Congress (TMC) pertaining to the violation of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

This came a few hours after the TMC moved the state Election Commission (EC) seeking action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Babul Supriyo and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for playing party's theme song for the state, which was banned by the polling body on April 7.

"On 23rd April 2019, PM Narendra Modi delivered a speech in Asansol, West Bengal. A link to the said speech is produced herewith. After the first nine minutes of the video, the leaders of the BJP on the stage can be heard to announce that they will play the song. This song is the BJP theme song for the elections in WB and has been banned from being played out in public by the Election Commission," the TMC stated in the complaint letter.

It further contended that neither Supriyo nor the BJP has received certification from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) to play the song.

"The BJP leaders on the stage to welcome PM Narendra Modi have played the aforesaid song anyway. Therefore, this is a clear violation of multiple instructions laid down by the ECI those advertisements of any form need prior certification from the MCMC," it further read.

TMC also urged the poll body to take strict and immediate action against PM Modi and MP Babul Supriyo as they violated a direct order of the Additional Chief Electoral Officer and Chairperson, Additional CEO's Committee for Pre-Certification West Bengal to not play the song.

They also urged the EC to "teach a lesson to those who willfully violate the direct orders of the Election Commission."

".. the ECI is urged to look into the matter at the earliest and reprimand the PM Narendra Modi, Mr Supriyo and the BJP," the letter added.

The EC had on April 7 banned the song composed by Supriyo following objections raised by the TMC against its composition. The poll body had also asked the party to retract the song.