Kolkata:
Mamata Banerjee has launched a no-holds-barred attack on the State Election Commissioner Meera Pandey, announcing at a public rally that if her party, the Trinamool, had a two third majority in the West Bengal Assembly, she would have removed Meera Pandey from her post.
On Saturday, Ms Banerjee had threatened Meera Pandey with revenge for holding panchayat polls in Ramzan. Speaking at a public rally at Dakshin Barasat, she also urged the people to take revenge, democratically.
Ms Banerjee's party colleagues have followed in her footsteps. Transport minister Madan Mitra said at a panchayat poll roadshow yesterday, "The commission will have to wear bangles after the polls and if you want to talk to them, you will have to go abroad."
Trinamool MP Suvendu Adhikari also chipped in, telling a public rally on Tuesday, "The Election Commission is flapping its wings like an ant does just before its death."
Ms Banerjee's latest comment, at a meeting in Debra yesterday, goes a step further. "The Election Commissioner was not appointed by us. She was given an extension by the previous CPM government. The CPM also made a law which we need 2/3rd majority in the assembly to change. If we had 2/3rd majority in Assembly, we would have removed the election commissioner.
But this latest attack on Meera Pandey has turned out to be something of a faux pas. The Assembly has no role in removing an election commissioner. Constitutional expert and former speaker Somnath Chatterjee says, "An election commissioner may be removed like a judge of a high court and the judge of a high court can only be removed by impeachment by Parliament of India."
Mamata's political rivals are having a field day.
"I can't say this is merely out of ignorance. This is definitely well planned, orchestrated attack against constitutional authorities," said Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya of the CPM.
The Congress' Arunabha Ghosh said, "She attacks the person, as in a football match, leaving the ball aside and kicking the person, she believes in that. This is unbecoming of a chief minister."
Tathagata Roy of the BJP said, "The whole thing leaves a bitter taste in the mouth."
Meera Pandey has refused to react so far to Ms Banerjee's provocative statements, saying, "It does not behove a constitutional body to respond to such comments."
However, Ms Banerjee's controversial comments are being collated by the state election commission. If they violate the law in any way, legal action could well follow.
On Saturday, Ms Banerjee had threatened Meera Pandey with revenge for holding panchayat polls in Ramzan. Speaking at a public rally at Dakshin Barasat, she also urged the people to take revenge, democratically.
Ms Banerjee's party colleagues have followed in her footsteps. Transport minister Madan Mitra said at a panchayat poll roadshow yesterday, "The commission will have to wear bangles after the polls and if you want to talk to them, you will have to go abroad."
Trinamool MP Suvendu Adhikari also chipped in, telling a public rally on Tuesday, "The Election Commission is flapping its wings like an ant does just before its death."
Ms Banerjee's latest comment, at a meeting in Debra yesterday, goes a step further. "The Election Commissioner was not appointed by us. She was given an extension by the previous CPM government. The CPM also made a law which we need 2/3rd majority in the assembly to change. If we had 2/3rd majority in Assembly, we would have removed the election commissioner.
But this latest attack on Meera Pandey has turned out to be something of a faux pas. The Assembly has no role in removing an election commissioner. Constitutional expert and former speaker Somnath Chatterjee says, "An election commissioner may be removed like a judge of a high court and the judge of a high court can only be removed by impeachment by Parliament of India."
Mamata's political rivals are having a field day.
"I can't say this is merely out of ignorance. This is definitely well planned, orchestrated attack against constitutional authorities," said Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya of the CPM.
The Congress' Arunabha Ghosh said, "She attacks the person, as in a football match, leaving the ball aside and kicking the person, she believes in that. This is unbecoming of a chief minister."
Tathagata Roy of the BJP said, "The whole thing leaves a bitter taste in the mouth."
Meera Pandey has refused to react so far to Ms Banerjee's provocative statements, saying, "It does not behove a constitutional body to respond to such comments."
However, Ms Banerjee's controversial comments are being collated by the state election commission. If they violate the law in any way, legal action could well follow.
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