Countdown to the February 15 polling have begun and the Dehradun district administration has enforced section 144 of CrPC across the district from 5 pm of February 13 to midnight of February 16 while acting on the directions of the Election Commission of India.
With this order, gathering of five or more persons at public places has been banned except places like schools, railway stations, bus stations, government and semi- government offices. Besides, during the period, the prohibitory order would remain in force, none of the candidates or political parties would be allowed to carry out election campaign through the electronic media.
However, they would be allowed to give advertisements in the print media, subject to permission from media certification and monitoring committee (MCMC).
According to an election official, any action which might incite communal or caste animosity, meant to hurt public sentiments, leading to disturbance of peace and harmony, is prohibited. Besides, no one would be allowed to carry firearms, knives, explosive materials and other weapons at public places or other places which can be used for committing crimes. Solid materials like bricks, stones and soda water bottles and other explosive materials which can harm the people should not be assembled at a particular place within the districts’ jurisdictional limits, as per the order. This aside, no person excluding elderly or those doing election duty would be allowed to carry bamboo sticks and the like.
Besides, rumour mongering has been prohibited by the order. No speech would be allowed as part of political campaigning at Temples, Mosques, Gurudwaras and Churches. Members of the political parties would be prohibited from reaching a range of 200 metres from the polling centres or polling stations. Besides, transport facilities would not be provided by any candidate or political party to ferry voters to the polling stations on the polling day.