Making a mockery of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) imposed by the Election Commission of India (ECI), political parties and candidates have started to deface walls in the city. Maximum cases of defacing walls have been reported in South-West followed by North-East Delhi. However, the Delhi Police and Chief Electoral Office (CEO) have put spokes in the wheels of violators. Sustained action by the poll watchdog has resulted in the removal of 608 defacements. North-East district too has seen action on 2,564 properties where posters were plastered in gross violation of the MCC.
Well-placed sources said that the CEO has removed 1,682 defacements of properties. Its officials managed to remove 181 violations on Monday itself. Delhi Police have registered 87 cases against various candidates under Sections of the Defacement of Property Act (wall writing, poster, banner etc) on public and private properties.
The registration of cases for such violations is expected to continue with CEO tightening its grip on such illegal practices to ensure free and fair polls, sources said.
The use of red beacon is prohibited during poll campaign but those in power have been found to indulge in violating the MCC in this regard as well. Delhi Police have lodged 18 cases under the relevant Sections and 19 cases, while 19 violations have been reported under the Violation of loudspeaker Act. Unauthorised meetings/speeches are proscribed once the MCC is in force but it has been contravened in the national Capital by those aspiring to enter the Delhi legislative Assembly. Delhi Police have lodged 21 First Information Reports (FIRs) by the Delhi Police in its 11
police districts.
Inducement/gratification to electors in the form of cash/kind distribution has been reported too. Two dozen FIRs have been registered against the violators. Officials said that action will be initiated against those named in the FIRs as no violation of the MCC will be allowed during the run up to elections in the national Capital territory.
Distribution of country-made liquor/Indian Made Foreign liquor (IMFl) is common practice by candidates to inveigle voters. South district has confiscated 244 quarts of country-made liquor while West has recovered 198 quarts of country-made liquor.
Outer District having the maximum population in the slums and JJ clusters has seized 506 quarts, eight bottles and 40 litres of locally brewed hooch while North-West district has seized 24 litres of this brand of bootleg, a police official added.
Delhi Police has also intensified its drive to net anti-social elements and have 196 such cases across the city to take habitual offenders in preventive custody. “The drive to rein in rogue elements that can disturb the peace during the poll campaign will be further intensified. They will be behind bars to ensure smooth, free and fair polls,” a police official added.
Police gunning for arms
In a related development, Delhi Police has started to collect the weapons of licence holders to ensure violence-free polls. According to figures available with Delhi Police, South West district has taken the lead in collecting the weapons of armed licence holders.
It has deposited 5,546 weapons followed by 2,665 in South East district as on Monday. North East, South, North West, Outer, Central, and New Delhi districts have not seized any weapons so far whereas North district has recorded the seizure of 1,073 arms.
According to a senior Delhi Police official, all armed licence holders are being told by their respective police stations to hand over their revolvers/pistols/rifles and double barrel guns.
This exercise is necessary to conduct peaceful polls since it also rules out supporters from intimidating the electorate to vote for a particular candidate, a senior Delhi Police official said.
Cases slapped against AAP
Meanwhile, Delhi Police on Monday registered a case against three violations against AAP in Mehrauli, Neb Sarai and Malviya Nagar Police Stations in connection with holding meetings without permission of the local police. Police has also registered a case against Arvind Kejriwal of AAP party under the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act (DPDP), 2007 in connection with one board canvassing for him displayed on an electric pole.
In Preet Vihar, BSP candidate Mool Chand Gupta has been booked under DPDP Act 2007 for displaying a banner of BSP on a Government pole in laxmi Nagar constituency. According to sources, police have registered 55 cases under DPDP Act across the city on Monday.