RTI activist writes to CEC, says Chouhan used Exchequer's money to develop Budhni temple
Noted social and Right To Information (RTI) activist from the State capital Ajay Dube has urged the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of Election Commission of India (ECI), VS Sampath, to order an inquiry against Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for violating Code of Conduct and influencing the religious feelings of the voters for the upcoming lok Sabha election 2014.
Dube, in a letter to the CEC, said, “I would like to draw your attention to the serious kind of violation of Model Code of Conduct by Chouhan. The Chief Minister's name is displayed at the facade of the Salkanpur Temple of Budhni in Sehore district, which is visited by a large number of devotees. The public trust has given credit to him for the development of the temple, which has been made obvious by mentioning Chouhan's name along with the goddess of the temple.” Dube added, “I would like to make it clear that the development work of the temple was done by the Exchequer's money and that is public money.”
He said that a general letter was issued to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Madhya Pradesh Jaideep Govind after the Assembly election in December 2013, which was forwarded to the District Magistrate (DM) of Sehore, Kavindra Kiyawat, in
January 2014 to take appropriate action. He said the DM took it very lightly and recently he has informed the CEO that the name has been covered. “But today we found out that the DM has submitted false reply to the CEO. We have taken the
photographs afresh showing today's date, which are enclosed for your kind perusal,” he added in the letter.
The social activist said he believes that the CEO Jaideep Govind and DM Kavindra Kiyawat are not performing their duties honestly. They are supporting the CM in an unlawful manner. They should be punished and a FIR should be lodged against Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for violating the Model Code of Conduct.