The Election Commission (EC) has taken cognizance of the video that surfaced online, in which TMC MLA Narendranath Chakraborty is seen threatening and intimidating the voters. The Commission has barred him from holding any form of public interaction for a week.
Democracy in West Bengal.#TMC threatens #BJP voters: ‘If you vote for BJP, remember we know who you are, where you live. After (Asansol LS) election you will live at your own risk.’
As @MahuaMoitra wrote for @nytimes “I know what it takes to defeat Modi”.pic.twitter.com/khb5nBEiQ2— Kanchan Gupta 🇮🇳 (@KanchanGupta) March 29, 2022
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If you vote for BJP, you will live at your own risk
The MLA speaking the language of a third-class mafia threatened the voters. He said “Those who are rigid BJPs who cannot be defeated have to be intimidated. Tell them that if you go to vote it will be presumed that you will vote for BJP and after the vote where you will live will be your risk. And if you do not go to vote then we will presume that you have supported us and you may live, do trade, work anywhere as you please and we are with you. Is it clear?”
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The threat issued by the TMC MLA is a direct attack on the fundamentals of a democratic country. In a democratic country like India, threatening voters for life and property in the case of voting for some other parties is dangerous for a nation. It is every citizen’s constitutional and statutory duty to ensure that the election held must be free from fear and greed. Daunting voters for their votes in the election shows Mamata Banerjee’s corrupt and immoral way of winning an election.
The philosophy of winning an election is to instil fear in the minds of voters
According to a report by The New Indian Express, “7000 women molested and around 15000 cases of violence” were reported in West Bengal after the 2021 legislative election. The warning issued by the TMC’s MLA is the extension of the politics played by Mamata.
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Women are being raped, innocent people are being murdered and properties are being looted, only in the name of election. You will be killed if you vote other than TMC. The monomaniac party is razing the core principles of democracy, life, liberty, and justice. The reason for the origin of a nation-state was to establish peace in society and Mamata is on a mission to demolish that.
Threatening voters is a criminal offence
The intimidation of voters with any kind of injury is a criminal offence under section 171C of the Indian Penal Code and one year of imprisonment is provided under section 171F of the act. Further, threatening and interference in free & fair elections have been defined under section 123(2) of The Representation of the People Act, 1951, as corrupt practices in elections.
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The warning of TMC is an effort to interfere in the process of free & fair elections. The EC’s prohibiting him from any processions or public meetings for one week is a good decision. But further, he must be booked under penal provisions for creating fear and influencing the voters in elections.
