Kolkata

After Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Election Commission on Thursday barred West Bengal BJP President Dilip Ghosh from campaigning for 24 hours, charging him with making "provocative" public statements that can "seriously incite" emotions and lead to "breakdown" of law and order affecting the Assembly election process in the state.

In a letter, the poll panel, unsatisfied with his reply, has found him guilty of violating clauses (1) and (4) of Part I of General Conduct of Model Code of Conduct for the guidance of political parties and candidates and making "highly provocative and inciteful remarks which could adversely impact law and order adversely affecting the election process".

Besides warning Ghosh to abstain from making such remarks, it imposed a ban of 24 hours from 7 p.m. on April 15 to 7 p.m. on April 16.

The Commission's notice came after Ghosh courted controversy on Sunday by saying that more Cooch Behar-like killings may happen if "naughty boys like the ones who received bullets in Sitalkuchi" try to take the law into their hands. Ghosh made the remark regarding firing by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) last week in Sitalkuchi Assembly Constituency in Cooch Behar district in which four people were killed during the fourth phase of Assembly elections.

The EC later mentioned that it has received the transcript of the alleged speech and mentioned his comments like: "Central forces will be there in the booths. No one can show you an angry eye. Because we are here. And if someone crosses his limits, then you have seen what happened in Sitalkuchi. There will be Sitalkuchi in several places. So be careful..."

Ghosh, in his reply, said that it was never his intention to make any statement that would be in contravention of the Model Code of Conduct and the Representation of the People's Act/Indian Penal Code, and if the expressions made by him are construed as a violation, then he would be careful in future.