NOC not yet issued by Army for Mamata Banerjee's Gandhi Murti protest

KOLKATA: As West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is sitting on dharna at Gandhi Murti in Kolkata on Tuesday, as a mark of protest after the Election Commission (EC) imposed a ban on her for 24 hours from campaigning, an Eastern Command official informed that No Objection Certificate (NOC) has not been issued yet for the protest at the venue.

"We received an application from Trinamool Congress (TMC) at 9:40 am, for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for Kolkata's Gandhi Murti as the area falls under Army's jurisdiction. It is under process and NOC hasn't been issued yet," said an Eastern Command Official.

Mamata is sitting on dharna at Gandhi Murti in Kolkata on Tuesday, as a mark of protest after the Election Commission (EC) imposed a ban on her for 24 hours from campaigning in any manner from 8 pm on April 12 till 8 pm on April 13.

While sitting on the dharna she is keeping herself busy by painting.

The Election Commission on Monday banned Mamata Banerjee from campaigning in the ongoing state elections for 24 hours and said she had made "highly insinuating and provocative remarks laden with the serious potential of the breakdown of law and order and thereby affecting the election process".

The ban comes into force ahead of the fifth phase of Assembly polls in the state on April 17.

The poll panel in its order condemned her statements "portent with serious law and order problems across the state (s)" and sternly warned her.

It advised her "to desist from using such statements while making public utterances during the period when Model Code of Conduct is in force."