Kolkata: A group of pro-Trinamool Congress intellectuals on Saturday alleged that the Election Commission has not been acting impartially and "the ruling party has been subjected to an unduly harsh treatment by it".
The group also criticised the EC for showcausing Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee for violating the model code of conduct.
"We are deeply aggrieved and humiliated by the EC's decision to showcause our Chief Minister. The EC must have made proper homework before taking such a drastic and unwarranted step against the Chief Minister because it is on public record that the Chief Minister had announced the intention to carve a district of Asansol back in last December," the letter submitted by the intellectuals to the Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said.
The EC on April 14 issued showcause notice to Banerjee for violating the model code of conduct as "she made the promise of creation of a new district of Asansol".
The delegation that also met Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Gupta today included economist Abhirup Sarkar, poet Subodh Sarkar, singer Protul Mukhopadhyay, Indologist Nrisingha Prasad Bhaduri beside others.
"The attitude of the Commission towards other political parties has been unnecessarily soft and accommodating which is disrupting a fair and democratic political process in the state," the letter said.
They also criticised the Commission's decision to change the Police Commissioner of Kolkata "on fake charge" and hundreds other officers on the "basis of unverified allegations".
They also alleged that the media are showing old pictures to buttress false claims and raise new issues, which were against the model code of conduct and urged the EC to take immediate steps against them.
