GUWAHATI, March 25: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has lodged a complaint against a BJP candidate over a “sensitive” comment at an election rally in a minority-dominated area of western Assam’s Dhubri district.
The candidate, Banendra Kumar Mushahary, set to contest the Assembly election from Gauripur legislative Assembly constituency, while addressing his concern on the beef ban recently, stated that “beef is a national food”.
In a video clip that subsequently went viral on social networking sites, the BJP leader, while addressing people, is heard saying, “The beef that we eat…how it can be banned? It is a national food.”
The statement by Mushahary sparked outrage among a section of residents in Dhubri district, who have demanded an apology from him.
The ECI had raised a complaint with the concerned authorities in the place where the candidate had addressed the rally.
The complaint was based on a city-based Purbanchal Hindu Aikya Mancha, intimating the poll body about the “sensitive” remark by the BJP candidate.
In an e-mail to an office-bearer of the Mancha, the ECI informed that a “complaint has been raised with the concerned officers through the NGS (National Grievance Services) portal and that the email has also been forwarded to the concerned officer for quick response.”
Members of the Mancha also registered an FIR against Mushahary at Dispur Police Station here, questioning how a candidate can make a sensitive statement to attract votes from one community while hurting the sentiments of another, when the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) was in force.
Condemning the BJP candidate’s statement, the Mancha wrote in the FIR to register a case against Mushahary under appropriate sections of IPC and take strong legal action for violating MCC and spreading hatred and enmity amongst two religious communities.
The Mancha has also provided a social media link of the footage, as evidence, to the officer-in charge of Dispur police station.
Mushahary, who joined BJP on December 29 last year, was first elected to the Assam Legislative Assembly in 1996 as an Independent candidate from Gauripur constituency.
He was elected again as an Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) candidate in 2001 from Gauripur.
Thereafter, he joined Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) and was elected as an MLA for the third time in 2011.
