TMC moves EC for ‘US citizen’ Khali campaigning for saffron party
From the day it announced the poll dates, the Election Commission’s role has been questioned by the Opposition parties, and finger-pointing has increased with each passing day.
On Sunday, while the Trinamool Congress approached the Commission alleging that “American” wrestler “the Great Khali” had taken part in the electioneering of the BJP, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram accused the EC of being “silent spectator” to the “excesses” of the BJP and to the utterances of Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the poll body has “largely failed” the people of India.
According to Congress, it has given 37 representations to the EC of which 10 can be categorised under “hate speeches, virulent, divisive, polarising” by Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, but the EC has so far not acted against both these leaders. The Congress threatened the EC to move court if the poll body fails to take action against the Prime Minister for violation of model code of conduct (MCC).
In a letter to the EC, TMC has alleged that Dalip Singh Rana, also known as World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler ‘Khali’ campaigned for BJP candidate Anupam Hazra in Jadavpur despite being an American citizen.
“Rana is not an Indian citizen and holds American citizenship. Therefore, a foreigner should not be allowed to influence the minds of the Indian electors as he has little or no knowledge as to who should be an appropriate MP in India,” the letter to the EC reads. “The BJP is using Rana’s celebrity status to misguide Indian voters,” the letter adds.
On his part, Chidambaram claimed that the EC has been asking for accounts of every Opposition candidate and even on their small spending like on a flag.
“They (EC) are adding what it is called notional expenditure, to the expenditure account of the candidates. If you apply the same standard, every BJP candidate will be disqualified,” he said.
The former Union Finance and Union Home Minister has earlier on Saturday claimed that the spending on several rallies of the Prime Minister had likely crossed the `10-crore mark, in violation of the regulations, and the EC was “simply reluctant and unwilling to take action against the BJP.”
Also on Saturday, a delegation of the Opposition parties approached the EC alleging display of party name only under the BJP symbol on EVMs during a mock poll in West Bengal’s Barrackpore constituency, but the poll panel has maintained that the same insignia was used for the party in 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi also dubbed the model code of conduct as the Modi Code of Conduct. Taking a jibe at the poll panel, he said the Congress is saddened to say that it seems that from the second word of Election Commission, ‘C’ has been dropped, and it has become “Election Omission” for the Modi-Shah duo.
“After being prodded by the Supreme Court, the Commission did impose a ‘time-out’ on Mayawati, Azam Khan, Yogi Adityanath and Maneka Gandhi for violating the MCC through their speeches. However, the Commission seems to have refused to touch Narendra Modi and Amit Shah,” Congress leader Chatar Singh said. “The EC’s track record on combating hate speech in the course of campaigning seems to be quite patchy,” he added.
The Congress leader accused that from the time elections were announced and the MCC came into force, PM Modi and Amit Shah have repeatedly made speeches that even at first glance have gone against the prescribed norms and, despite repeated complaints by concerned citizens and Opposition parties, the poll body has not taken any action so far.
The EC had issued an advisory to all political parties on March 9 saying that they should desist from displaying the photographs of defence personnel or using defence operations as a part of their political campaigns. The same was reiterated on March 19. Yet on March 23, the Gujarat unit of the Congress submitted a complaint to the EC that the BJP had been distributing pamphlets with the mention of Balakot air strike and the surgical strike as a part of their campaign.
More than 150 veterans of the defence forces wrote to the President and the EC to advise all political parties to desist from using the defence forces as a part of their election campaign. The letter was made public on April 11. That veterans wrote such a letter just ahead of polling would lead one to presume that the EC’s advisories were not exactly heeded.
TDP supremo Chandrababu Naidu had earlier wrote to EC, accusing of usurping the powers of his Government and preventing it from discharging its duties.
Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had termed EC’s decision to transfer four West Bengal IPS officers, including Kolkata Police Commissioner Anuj Sharma and Bidhannagar Police Commissioner Gyanwant Singh ahead of the Lok Sabha Election 2019 as “highly arbitrary, motivated and biased towards BJP.” They were also barred from poll duty.
The Opposition also accused the poll body of being soft to Yogi Adityanath’s remark on Modi ki Sena, Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh and Niti Aayog chief.
The Opposition had earlier accused the poll body that polls are being held during Ramzan. After April 23, it’s only North India that will have polling till May 19. This is also the period that will coincide with the holy month of Ramzan. Did the Election Commission factor it? And will it ensure lower turnout of the minority community at booths?