#India Elections 2019 : Breakdown Of Constitutional Machinery In West Bengal, Says Arun Jaitley After EC Move

Union Finance Minister and a key member of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet, Arun Jaitley has once again slammed the Mamata Banerjee government.

Reacting to the unprecedented Election Commission move to curtail the campaign in the state due to violence , Jaitley said that there is a classic case of breakdown of the Constitutional machinery in the state.

A free campaign is not possible and therefore the campaign has to be cut short. This is a classical case of breakdown of the Constitutional Machinery. — Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 15, 2019

In wake of violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata during a roadshow by BJP President Amit Shah, the Election Commission (EC) cut short campaign for nine Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal by 24 hours.

The Commission banned the campaigning in the nine constituencies from 10 PM, Thursday. Earlier the campaign was to end on Friday.

A constitutional authority, the Election Commission of India, has effectively held West Bengal to be a “state in anarchy”, said Jaitley in series of tweets.

A constitutional authority, the Election Commission of India, has effectively held Bengal to be a state in Anarchy. Repeatedly escalating violence, state supported Vandals, a partisan police and home department are the illustrations the ECI has given. — Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 15, 2019

Repeatedly escalating violence, state supported vandals, a partisan police and home department are the illustrations the ECI has given, he noted.

“A free campaign is not possible and therefore the campaign has to be cut short. This is a classical case of breakdown of the Constitutional Machinery,” the minister said.

The BJP and the TMC have traded charges of inciting the violence. During the violence, a bust of Bengali icon Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was vandalised.