The Government on Friday got a rap from the Election Commission over its announcement of compensation to the 1984 riot victims. With the Ministry of Home Affairs stating to EC that no decision in this regard had been taken, the Commission questioned the Centre over its failure to deny the media reports that appeared on this case.
The EC said that the absence of a denial by the Home Ministry led to an “unmistakable impression” that a decision has actually been taken. The Commission said there should be an assurance that “such instances do not recur in future.”
The EC had issued notice to Centre on October 31 to arrest a possible violation of Model Code of Conduct as Delhi by-polls were to be held on November 25. News reports suggested that the Centre was planning to give a fresh compensation package of Rs5 lakh to each of those killed in the anti-Sikh riots.
While the Government responded by stating that no decision was taken regarding compensation, the news was “widely published” and disseminated not only in the print media but also on the electronic media.
EC in its two-page order said, “The Commission has also not come across any denial of the above news by the Government in the electronic media, etc. Thus, it cannot be denied that the above news item gave an unmistakable impression to the electorate that a decision to the above effect was in fact taken by the Government and that had the likelihood to effect of disturbing the level playing field when the Model Code of Conduct was in force in Delhi…which ought to have been avoided.” The Commission did not even find any rebuttal in any panel discussions witnessed on various TV channels on this subject.