India’s EC hands 24hr campaigning ban to Mamata Banerjee

India's Election Commission today banned West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from campaigning in the state assembly election for 24 hours for violating the model code of conduct.

Mamata has been barred from taking part in the campaign from tonight till 8pm (local time) on April 13, our New Delhi correspondent

Mamata was served two separate notices by the EC which accused her of violating the model code with her appeal to Muslims to vote en bloc for her party Trinamool Congress in the elections and for reportedly telling people to gherao (surround and demand answers from) federal security forces deployed to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections in the state.

She had been given the two notices last week.

The EC ban against Mamata came when polling in the four phases of the eight-round of polling in the assembly election in West Bengal is over.

Trinamool Congress party's lawmaker Derek O'Brien slammed the campaign ban on Mamata and said the EC stands for "Extremely Compromised Commission."