EC notice to BJP's Ghosh, Congress' Shrinate for 'insulting' women

NEW DELHI: Election Commission Wednesday issued notices to Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate and BJP MP Dilip Ghosh for allegedly violating the model code of conduct with their "offensive" and "undignified" posts/remarks against actress and BJP candidate from Mandi Kangana Ranaut and Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, respectively.

While posts from Shrinate's social media handles had taken an undignified dig at Bollywood actress Ranaut's candidature from Mandi ('Mandi' being a slang associated with immoral trafficking). After massive backlash from social media users against her posts on Kangana, Shrinate had deleted them and claimed it was the doing of one of the many persons who have access to her social media accounts. Ghosh, meanwhile, had stirred the hornet's nest by commenting on Mamata's parentage.

Unmoved by Shrinate's claims, BJP and NCW had Tuesday filed a complaint with EC against her. TMC, too, approached EC seeking action against Ghosh.

In its notice to Shrinate, EC said her comment was found to be "undignified and in bad taste" and prime facie violative of the... model code of conduct. The poll body asked her to reply to its notice by 5 pm March 29, showing cause why action should not be taken against her.

Similarly, EC in its notice to Ghosh, said his comment was found to be "offensive, insulting" and violative of the model code. The MP was directed to send in his response by 5 pm Mar 29.