Cooch Behar firing: Mamata asks EC to rename Model Code of Conduct as ‘Modi Code of Conduct’

Shubhadeep Choudhury                                                                         

Tribune News Service 

Kolkata, April 11

Condemning the Election Commission (EC) for restricting entry into Cooch Behar district of political leaders, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said the EC should rename the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) enforced at the time of elections as “Modi Code of Conduct’.

Mamata announced that she would visit the families of the men killed in firing by security forces as soon as the three-day period, when the EC-imposed restriction would be in force, was over.

“The Election Commission should rename MCC as Modi Code of Conduct!

“BJP can use all its might but NOTHING in this world can stop me from being with my people & sharing their pain. 

“They can restrict me from visiting my brothers & sisters in Cooch Behar for 3 days but I WILL be there on the 4th day!”, Mamata said in a tweet on Sunday morning.

After four men belonging to the religious minority community were killed in firing by Central forces near polling Booth No. 126 in the Sitalkuchi constituency of Cooch Behar district on Saturday, Mamata announced that she would be visiting the families of the victims on Sunday.

However, an Election Commission order issued later banning the entry of politicians in Cooch Behar district for 72 hours starting from Saturday evening threw a spanner in her programme.

Former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, who recently joined the TMC, also condemned the EC order. “Election Commission has covered itself with mud by stopping Mamata from going to Coochbehar. After all she is still the CM of Bengal and it is her duty to visit the place of this unfortunate occurrence. We know for certain now that EC is not fair”, Sinha said in a tweet on Saturday evening.