Trinamool Congress candidate Mahua Moitra has issued a sharp rebuke directed at the Election Commission of India (ECI) for its perceived inaction regarding Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent comments characterizing the West Bengal government led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as “Mullah, Madrasa, Mafia”. Moitra’s criticism was conveyed through a communication platform, underscoring her discontent with the ECI’s response to what she perceives as derogatory remarks.
This development contributes to a growing chorus of disapproval aimed at the ECI, with opposition factions alleging bias favoring the BJP-led NDA coalition.
Amit Shah’s comments, delivered during a campaign event in Bengal on May 15th, sharply criticized the Trinamool Congress government, asserting that it had veered from its original commitment to serve the interests of the people (“Maa, Mati, Manush”) to allegedly prioritizing interests aligned with “Mullah, Madrasa, Mafia”.
Additionally, Shah condemned the state government’s decision to allocate state funds for the remuneration of imams and muezzins, despite a prior ruling by the Calcutta High Court against such expenditures. Shah’s discourse included various accusations against Mamata Banerjee, some of which carried religious undertones, such as her purported allowance of Rohingya entry into the country, her absence from the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony, restrictions on Durga idol immersions, and the provision of additional holidays during Ramzan.
These statements by Shah emerged within a day of a declaration by the Prime Minister affirming his intention to eschew communal rhetoric from public discourse.
