West Bengal polls: Twitter reacts as Mamata Banerjee takes to painting while on dharna
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee engaged in painting, while sitting at a dharna in Kolkata’s Gandhi Murti to protest against the campaigning ban enforced on her by the election body.
Sitting all by herself at the protest site, unaccompanied by any TMC leaders and supporters, Mamata Banerjee caught hold of her paintbrushes, colours and a blank canvas. She poured colours on the palette and made a painting.
#WATCH | West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee paints & shows paintings as she sits on dharna at Gandhi Murti in Kolkata, to protest against a 24-hour ban imposed by ECI on her from campaigning from 8 pm of April 12 till 8 pm of April 13 pic.twitter.com/CvKHxTB53d
— ANI (@ANI) April 13, 2021
Before the fifth phase of elections in West Bengal, the Election Commission of India (ECI) kept out Mamata Banerjee from campaigning for 24 hours because she delivered "highly insinuating and provocative remarks laden with the serious potential of the breakdown of law and order and thereby affecting the election process".
Mamata Banerjee has garnered backup from many parties and leaders, which includes Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut and DMK's MK Stalin. While MK Stalin said there needs to be a level playing field for everyone, Sanjay Raut said the ban on Mamata Banerjee was imposed "at the behest of the BJP".
ECI has imposed a ban on Mamta didi for 24 hours. This is clearly done at the behest of BJP, ruling party in India. It is a direct attack on democracy and sovereignty of independent institutions of India. solidarity with Bengal Tigress, @MamataOfficial
— Sanjay Raut (@rautsanjay61) April 13, 2021
@derekobrienmp pic.twitter.com/oGxPJZdrSL
The faith in our democracy rests on free and fair elections.
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) April 13, 2021
The Election Commission of India must ensure a level playing field for all parties and candidates and ensure that impartiality and neutrality is maintained.#MamataBanerjee
Besides the TMC supremo the ECI has also issued warnings to the likes of Suvendu Adhikari, Dilip Ghosh and Rahul Sinha of BJP over inflammatory remarks.
First published: 14 April 2021, 12:22 IST