EC bans Mayawati and Yogi Adityanath for violating MCC

The Election Commission on Monday banned UP CM Yogi Adityanath and BSP chief Mayawati from campaigning for 72 hours and 48 hours respectively over Model Code of Conduct violations. The ban, starting 6 am on April 16, has been imposed on Yogi over Ali-Bajrangbali remark and on Mayawati over a speech, wherein she urged for Muslim votes.

"The Commission is convinced that she had made highly provocative speech which has the tone and tenor to aggravate existing difference or create mutual hatred between religious communities, thus violative of Model Code of Conduct. It strongly condemns the impugned statements made by her during her election campaign in Deoband. The Commission under Article 324 of the Constitution bars her from holding any public meetings, public processions, rallies, road shows and interviews, public utterances in media in connection with ongoing elections for 48 hours from 6:00 am on April 16," the EC letter reads.

Read the EC notice to Mayawati here:

On April 7, Mayawati on Sunday gave a polarising speech where she appealed to Muslim voters to vote for the BSP-SP coalition (with RLD in tow) and not Congress saying that the party led by Gandhis cannot fight the BJP, while addressing a rally in Deoband in Saharanpur.

"I want to tell the Muslim community to not let their votes divide. I ask you to vote together for BSP, SP and RLD.

Further, taking notice of the comments made by Yodi Adityanath in Meerut, the Commission barred him from holding any public meetings, public processions, rallies, road shows and interviews, public utterances in media in connection with ongoing elections for 72 hours from 6:00 am on April 16.

Read the EC notice to Yogi Adityanath here:

While delivering a poll speech in Meerut which goes to polls on April 11, UP CM Yogi accused the Congress and Gathbandhan of targeting the Muslim community as a vote-bank. He then used a controversial remark he has made once before: