BJP urges EC to order FIR against TMC's Piyush Panda over casteist slur against Modi

The BJP on Monday urged the Election Commission to order lodging of an FIR against TMC leader Piyush Panda and ban him from campaigning, alleging that he hurled a casteist slur against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an election rally in West Bengal.

A BJP delegation comprising Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri and party's national general secretary Arun Singh visited the EC here and also lodged a complaint against TMC's social media in-charge Debganshu Bhattacharya accusing him of posting on 'X' personal details of Rekha Patra, the BJP candidate from Basirhat Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal.

The party alleged that Bhattacharya posted personal details of Patra in a "malicious and malafide manner with sole intention of showing her in a poor light" for being beneficiary of the state government's health scheme, and demanded lodging of an FIR against him.

The BJP also urged the poll panel to direct 'X' to suspend TMC's account on the microblogging site for the rest of the campaigning period and order an inquiry into how the Patra's personal data with the West Bengal government was made available to the ruling party in the state.

It also urged the poll panel to direct Bhattacharya to extend an unconditional apology to Patra for violating her ''privacy and exposing her to harassment''.

"A video has been widely circulated on the social media platforms in which it can be clearly seen that Piyush Panda, while addressing an election rally in West Bengal, (is) hurling casteist slurs upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also abusing and making derogatory remarks," the BJP said in a memorandum to the EC, demanding lodging of an FIR against Panda.

The BJP also urged the poll panel to order removal of the post from all social media platforms and ban Panda from campaigning in the Lok Sabha polls.

''Act of Piyush Panda calls for criminal proceedings against him and strict action. Otherwise, it will spoil the electoral environment,'' it added.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)