CPI-M attacks Mamata for EC barbs

Observing that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's confrontation with the Election Commission was against democratic norms, opposition CPI-M Wednesday urged the panel to adopt measures ensuring free and fair Lok Sabha polls.

"The chief minister has to abide by the constitution and the laws of the land. Threatening the EC is indicative of defying democratic norms and an attempt to publicly lower the esteem of the democracy," Communist Party of India-Marxist state secretary Biman Bose said during the party's state committee meet.

Bose also urged the EC to necessary steps to ensure the Lok Sabha polls are fair and held peacefully.

Following the EC's Monday directive to transfer eight state officials including five district police chiefs and one district magistrate, Banerjee in a retaliatory move refused to comply with the order and has been accusing the poll panel of "hatching a conspiracy to facilitate rigging of the polls by the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party and the CPI-M".

Though she later relented and agreed to the transfers, Banerjee continued her barbs describing the transfers as "political vendetta" and also alleged Deputy Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi of involvement in a scam.

Banerjee, however is now under the scanner with videos of her hate speech against the poll panel being forwarded to the EC.