Midnapore:
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday vowed to continue her fight against those trying to inflame communal passion in the country in the name of religion.
Without naming any party, Banerjee told a meeting here, “we will continue to fight against those who are trying to inflame communal passion in the country and engineer riots. We will thwart their ill designs”.
Asserting she would go as far necessary to uphold secularism, Banerjee told a public meeting here, “Won’t allow anyone to play dirty politics in the name of religion”.
Banerjee hailed Monday’s Supreme Court order which said seeking votes by a candidate, his agent or anybody with his consent was corrupt practice.
The SC held as “corrupt” the practice of candidates appealing for votes on the basis of these identities included not only him but his agents and voters.
In a marked departure from the view held in the 1995 “Hindutva” judgement that the term ‘his’ used in section 123 (3) of the Representation of the People Act meant the religion, caste, etc of candidates only, a seven-judge bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur, by a majority of 4:3, held yesterday that any appeal for votes on these grounds would amount to “corrupt practice”.