NEW DELHI/AHMEDABAD: Congress on Thursday accused the Election Commission of acting like a “captive puppet” of BJP for not acting against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who took out a “roadshow” on the day of polling in Gujarat.
In Ahmedabad, Congress legal department chairman Yogesh Ravani sent a letter to the EC and filed a complaint at Ranip Police Station. Ravani said, “After casting his vote, Modi held a roadshow along with supporters who waved BJP flags and wore saffron stoles. This is a clear violation of the model code.”
Ranip police station officials confirmed they had received the Congress complaint and said they would provide a report to the EC. The attack came a day after the EC barred TV channels from airing interviews with Congress presidentelect Rahul Gandhi stating that it constituted a violation of the model code of Conduct.
Congress said the chief election commissioner was acting like Modi’s principal secretary — a position he had served in the Gujarat government earlier — and the EC had surrendered its autonomy and denigrated the Constitution.
AICC general secretary Ashok Gehlot and spokesman Randeep Surjewala told a press conference that a “desperate PM facing defeat in Gujarat” flouted the code of conduct while the EC chose to behave like BJP’s frontal outfit.
They said the poll watchdog should be ashamed of its partisan conduct. A Congress delegation visited the EC and submitted a memorandum with scathing charges against the poll watchdog.
“Tragically, naked prejudice of EC and failure to act against the PM and BJP leaders is writ large. Never has the Constitution, the law and code of conduct been trampled in this fashion by a PM and the ruling party in complete knowledge and with tacit complicity of the EC. It is a sad day in India’s history for the position of ECI as an independent arbiter stands compromised,” it said.
Gehlot and Surjewala demanded action against the PM, BJP chief Amit Shah and other Union ministers. “If the EC is going to become a captive puppet, who will uphold the majesty of the election?” Surjewala said.
Source : timesofindia
