EC notice, police complaint against BJP MP over campaign song

Kolkata, March 19:

The Election Commission on Tuesday slapped a show-cause notice on Union minster and BJP leader Babul Supriyo for not seeking permission before releasing a video of his party's campaign song for Bengal on the social media.

"This song was noticed during our media watch. We have given him a show-cause notice as he did not seek prior permission from Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC)," said Additional Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal, Sanjay Basu.

The EC has termed it "a violation of Model Code of Conduct" and has sought an explanation from Supriyo within 48 hours.

"The All India Trinamool Congress has also lodged a complaint about the content. It is being investigated," said the EC officer.

A police complaint has been also lodged against the BJP MP from Asansol in the Asansol South police station for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress in the song.

The complainant, Gourav Gupta, secretary of the Paschim Bardhaman Students Library Coordination Committee said, "The lyrics of the song make unsubstantiated allegations against Trinamool Congress and its supremo Mamata Banerjee. It is malicious and derogatory in nature and damages the reputation of Trinamool and Ms. Banerjee."

Supriyo said he was not concerned about the complaint as he has tried to incorporate all the truth within the allegations labelled against Banerjee and her party.

"I am aware of the FIR. I know truth really hurts. In Bengal's freedom of speech has been suppressed and democracy has been murdered by Banerjee. So as a singer I have tried to put all that together," he said.

"If TMC has any problems with any particular lines of the song... if they want me to delete certain portions of the song, it would prove that those are the real hard-hitting truth that Trinamool Congress does not want people to know," he added.

The song that makes several allegations against Banerjee and her party, has lines like "Phutbe ebar Padma phool, Bangla Chado Trinamool (the lotus will bloom this time, Trinamool leave Bengal), Didi pore hawaii choti, bhaiyera sobai kotipati... (Didi wears Hawaii sandal while her brothers are crorepati... not this Trinamool anymore)."

IANS

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