Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien on Wednesday challenged the Election Commission to release the transcript of their conversation in the 7-minute meeting, after the TMC claimed the chief election commissioner had asked them to “get lost”.
“We challenge them to publish the text of what was said to them and to us in the 7-minute meeting. They are lying through their teeth,” the TMP MP wrote on his X account.
In a press conference held earlier, Derek O’Brien alleged that CEC Gyanesh Kumar told them to “get lost” when he was questioned about holding free and fair elections, news agency PTI quoted Derek as saying.
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Meanwhile, the Election Commission posted on the
In addition, Derek O’Brien wrote: “They leaked this non-existent conversation via ‘sources’. The CEC told the four of us: ‘Get out of my face.'”
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What did Derek claim?
Detailing the timeline of events, Derek said at the press conference that the meeting began at 10:02 a.m. and ended at 10:07 a.m. During the meeting, the Transitional Military Council asked the Central Election Commission: “You are transferring officials, and how do you want to hold free and fair elections?” Afterwards, the Central Election Commission allegedly asked them to leave.
“One of our colleagues congratulated him on being the only CEC in India to have notices in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to remove notices,” the MP said. He also added that a press conference will be held to discuss the same, where all “like-minded anti-BJP parties” will meet at 4-4:30 pm.
Meanwhile, other TMC members also repeated the same allegations, including MP Sagarika Ghose, who said the CEC said two lines to them: “The first line: Where is the authorized signatory. The second is the two most shameful words: ‘Get lost,’ she wrote on the X.”
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According to Election Commission officials, Gyanesh Kumar asked TMC MP Derek O’Brien to maintain decorum, stating that shouting and inappropriate behavior was unacceptable at the commission headquarters, PTI reported.
Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in West Bengal to choose the 294-member assembly. The elections will be held in two stages, the first on April 23 and the second on April 29. The counting of votes is scheduled to take place on May 4.
