West Bengal polls: TMC justifies chief secretary's reply to EC notice to Mamata

Kolkata: Shortly after the Prime Minister questioned West Bengal chief secretary's reply to the showcause notice issued by the Election Commission to Mamata Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress on Sunday claimed that the EC letter had addressed her as chief minister and hence the reply by the chief secretary was justified.

"The letter from the EC is a public document. The tech-savvy Narendra Modi could have read it even online," it said.

Releasing online the copy of EC's letter to Banerjee, TMC said,"It is addressed to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee (not the Trinamool Congress or the candidate from Bhowanipore Assembly constituency).

So the chief secretary's reply to a letter addressed to the Chief Minister is in order", it said.

"Did the Prime Minister get his facts wrong? Or was he lying?" the TMC statement questioned.

Modi told an election meeting at Krishnanagar today, "I heard that chief secretary has given the reply. The Commission did not issue showcause to her as chief minister, it was issued to her as a TMC leader.

Either TMC, or its lawyer or Mamataji herself should have given the reply. But if it is true that chief secretary has sent the reply, it was a violation of the model code and misuse of government machinery," he pointed out.