EC bans BJP candidate Abhijit Gangopadhyay from campaigning for 24 hours

Gangopadhyay's comment about Mamata Banerjee 'outrightly condemnable', says commission

The Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday barred Abhijit Gangopadhyay, BJP’s Tamluk Lok Sabha candidate and former judge of the Calcutta High Court, from campaigning for 24 hours for his "undignified" remarks against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, leader of the Trinamool Congress.

The ban starts at 5 pm on Tuesday.

On May 17, Trinamool lodged a complaint with the EC against Gangopadhyay for his "sexist" remarks about Mamata at a rally in Haldia. The commission later issued a notice to Gangopadhyay, stating that the remarks were “improper, injudicious, and undignified”.

The EC had sought a response to the notice by 5 pm on May 20 and Gangopadhyay replied on Monday.

In the order on Tuesday, EC said that it had gone through the statement and was "convinced" that he had made a "low-level" personal attack.

"Women have commanded the highest respect in Indian society, past and present, and while the Indian constitution and all institutions of the country have constantly pursued the ideas and ideals of ensuring the rights and dignity of women on all fronts and further empowering them," it said, adding that the statement made by Gangopadhyay was "outrightly condemnable".

The EC order also said that the former judge's words have "brought damage and disrepute to the state of West Bengal, which has a distinguished tradition of respect for women".

"The commission also strictly warns Shri Abhijit Gangopadhyay to remain careful in his public utterances during the currency of the Model Code of Conduct," it added.

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.

Former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy was also served a notice by the Karnataka State Commission for Women for his remarks during campaigning. However, a stay order was issued against it by the High Court later.