'Black day for democracy': Derek on EC's ban on Mamata Banerjee

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Derek O'Brien on Monday slammed the Election Commission's (EC) move to ban West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, calling it a 'black day for democracy'.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Derek O'Brien tweeted, "Today is a black day in Indian democracy. They can not beat us, that is why they ban us." He further remarked that the EC stands for Extremely Compromised.

Leaders from different political parties also reacted strongly to EC's move to ban Mamata Banerjee from campaigning for 24 hours in the ongoing assembly elections over her appeal for votes along communal lines.

Abhijit Banerjee, son of former President Pranab Mukherjee and Congress leader, said, "Banning Mamata Banerjee from campaigning for the next 24 hours while ignoring hate speeches of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders is nothing but a naked display of favouritism by the Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora."

Banerjee further questioned if there was any deal between Arora and BJP.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik also slammed EC over the decision.

"This is not right. It is appropriate to ban a leader like Mamata Banerjee that too from campaigning fot her own party. The decision appeared to be a politically motivated election. I appeal the EC to withdraw the ban as soon as possible," Malik told .

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Zafar Islam said that the Commission took the right step and said it would send a strong message. He also said that people are fed up with Mamata Banerjee's government and want change.

The Election Commission on Monday banned Mamata Banerjee from campaigning in the ongoing state elections for 24 hours from 8 pm today and said she had made "highly insinuating and provocative remarks laden with the serious potential of the breakdown of law and order and thereby affecting the election process".

The ban comes into force ahead of the fifth phase of assembly polls in the state on April 17.

The poll panel in its order condemned her statements" portent with serious law and order problems across the state (s)" and sternly warned her.

It advised her "to desist from using such statements while making public utterances during the period when Model Code of Conduct is in force."

( With inputs from ANI )