A day after an FIR was registered against Haryana Minister of State, Manish Grover for allegedly entering a polling booth without permission and disorderly conduct in Rohtak district of the state, the Congress has demanded his resignation and an inquiry by sitting judge of High Court into the alleged conspiracy of booth capturing.
Haryana Police have booked the Minister of State for Cooperation, Manish Grover and former Congress MLA BB Batra for allegedly entering a polling booth without permission and disorderly conduct in Rohtak on polling day, May 12 in Haryana.
Both were booked on Wednesday under Section 188 of the IPC (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and Section 131 of the Representation of the People's Act (disorderly conduct in or near polling stations) in Shivaji Colony police station, Rohtak, on the complaint of an assistant returning officer.
As per the complaint, Grover and Batra had allegedly entered a polling booth inside a school without permission and created ruckus when polling was underway in the Rohtak parliamentary constituency, which went to polls on May 12 along with nine other Lok Sabha seats in the state.
From Rohtak parliamentary seat, Congress’ three-time MP Deepender Singh Hooda is seeking re-election for a fourth term.
A day after the polling, Congress general secretary in-charge, Haryana, Ghulam Nabi Azad had written to the Chief Election Commissioner seeking appropriate action against Grover for allegedly intimidating voters and illegally sabotaging of polling in Rohtak, a charge which the BJP Minister had vehemently denied.
Grover had termed the allegations baseless and alleged that there were complaints against Congress workers entering the booth without permission and intimidating voters.
BB Batra, while talking to the mediapersons on Thursday alleged that Grover, along with a number of muscle men, entered the polling booth to intimidate the voters on the polling day.
He alleged that Grover entered into an altercation when he confronted him for entering polling booths.
“I told him that he cannot go around intimidating voters and try to influence the polling by moving around with large number of muscle men. As he holds an office of profit, he could not even become an election agent or enter booths to check, so he had not business to be there,” Batra said.
The Congress leader demanded resignation of Grover and an inquiry by sitting High Court Judge into the matter.