The Election Commission of India (EC) on Friday issued a show cause notice on former Calcutta High Court judge and BJP candidate Abhijit Gangopadhyay for making offensive comments against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The commission said the comments made by Mr. Gangopadhyay were found to be “improper, injudicious, beyond dignity in every sense of the term, in bad taste and prima facie violative” of the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct.
The notice also reminded the BJP candidate from the Tamluk Lok Sabha seat in the State about the EC’s recent advisory, which said that political parties and candidates should refrain from any deeds or action or utterances that may be construed as being repugnant to the honour and dignity of women.
The commission has sought his response by 5 p.m. of May 20.
The poll body’s action comes on a complaint by the Trinamool Congress against Mr. Gangopadhyay for his remarks at a public meeting in Haldia on May 15.
Mr. Gangopadhyay is the fourth politician who has been served a notice for undignified remarks against women during the ongoing Lok Sabha election. Others are the BJP’s Dilip Ghosh and the Congress’s Supriya Shrinate and Randeep Surjewala.
Voting will be held in Tamluk on May 25.
