Election Commission has taken strong note over the reported statement of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav defending his party candidate from Gautam Buddha Nagar district Narenda Bhati asking people to violate the EC norms and the SP government will withdraw all cases lodged against them after the elections.
"We have taken the note of the statement of the CM and we are examining it," said UP Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Umesh Sinha here on Tuesday evening.Earlier, the CM during a press conference here had said that during election time, politicians say such words." There is nothing new in the statement of Bhati," Akhilesh
Yadav had commented.Meanwhile the Gautam Buddha Nagar District authorities have lodged a FIR against Narendra Bhati in Dadri police station over his reported statement. The FIR was filed under section 171(C) of the IPC and 123 of the RP Act and investigation was underway, said Sinha. 171(C) is a non-congigable offence and there is punishment of one year in jail in the section.
During a public rally at Maicha village in Greater Noida on Sunday last Bhati not only openly called for violating the model code of conduct, but also bragged that his party, which is in power in UP, would take care of the matter if
EC lodged a case against him and other party workers and get it dismissed. 'If we do not take advantage of the polls, who willIJ' During his speech, he narrated an excerpt of his conversation with UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav during the latter's visit to Sikandrabad on Saturday.Bhati, who was involved in the suspension of the former
Gautam Budh Nagar SDM, IAS officer Durga Sakthi Nagpal, for cracking down on sand mafia, said Akhilesh was very happy with the outcome of the rally at Sikandrabad. 'The CM said he saw a 5km traffic jam on all four sides of the rally venue from his helicopter as there were too many vehicles,' claimed Bhati. " When CM asked me whether I was afraid of the EC for bringing so many vehicles," Bhati retorted that even if a few cases were registered against the party, it did not matter and he would get them dismissed.