A day after Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath stoutly defended the Varanasi administration for not granting permission to BJP’s prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi to hold a rally in Varanasi, Election Commissioner HS Brahma on Friday admitted that there was a “communication gap” between the Varanasi returning officer and the BJP over the issue, and regretted the delay in disposing of the matter.
The difference of opinion in dealing with the issue came out in open with divergent views made public by the two top functionaries in the poll panel. While the CEC chose to describe conduct of the local administration as “professional”, the Election Commissioner found fault with it for delaying communication to the BJP.
Brahma said that since Varanasi was “a VIP constituency” and the authorities were dealing with “a very important” personality, the decisions should have been conveyed fast so that issues do not crop up. In another instance, Brahma gave a clean-chit to Amit Shah saying there was “nothing particularly wrong” in the BJP leader’s speech in which he reportedly described Azamgarh as “a base of terrorists”.
“I have seen the speech myself... He only said Azamgarh. We found nothing much. Our people have also seen the video. There is nothing particularly wrong in what he said,” the Election Commissioner said in an interaction with Indian Women Press Corps. He said the Commission had given Amit Shah permission to speak and campaign again after he had expressed regret over his last statements. On the delay in providing approval to Modi’s programmes in Varanasi on Wednesday, the Commissioner said it could have been avoided.
“The RO should have explained to the applicant (of the BJP) the reasons for not allowing the programme (in Beniyabagh)... it should have been done in a professional manner... there was a communication gap between the RO and the applicant, I personally feel,” he told Karan Thapar in To the Point programme on Headlines Today.
He said the area is surrounded by high rises and holding the programme late evening was a security hazard. A gathering of a large number of people in a small area was another problem, he added. Brahma said an error of judgement can happen as the EC depended on the feedback of returning officers. “There are 543 ROs,” he said.
A day before Sampath had said the EC was “disappointed” over questions being raised by BJP leaders over its functioning and insisted that the District Magistrate had denied the permission to the rally on the “basis of professional advice” and there was no need to “deviate” from it.
“When the security and suitability issues are involved, the Election Commission naturally will go by the professional advice taken at the district level,” said the CEC in a hurriedly convened Press conference, flanked by other two Election Commissioners. “There is no reason to deviate from the decision taken at the district level, specially when the issue of life and security are concerned,” Sampath said, in effect rejecting BJP’s demand for removal of the DM.
Slamming the Election Commission for denying Narendra Modi the right to hold rally in Varanasi, senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said on Thursday, “By condoning the Returning Officer’s stand on ‘No-Modi rally’ in Varanasi city, the Election Commission has used the security card to prevent Narendra Modi’s right to campaign in his constituency.” Giving indications of “sharp difference of opinion” in the commission, Brahma said decisions should be taken with speed and communicated to the parties in right time.
“We should not take more than six to 10 hours...we will decide on the issue by end of today,” he said, adding people expect it to take quick decisions. He was responding to allegation by the BJP that while the EC ordered filing of FIR against Modi for violating electoral laws, it has not taken a decision on Gandhi entering at least two polling booths in Amethi on May 7 despite a lapse of 48 hours.
Amid a rigorous BJP offensive, Brahma said permission to Modi’s rally in Varanasi city was denied after the Gujarat Police had said the venue was not suitable but regretted the “delay” in conveying the decision to the party concerned. Earlier in the day speaking at Indian Women Press Corps, he revealed that a Gujarat Police official, part of the Advance Security liaison team of the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, had “indicated” that the chosen ground for holding the rally was not a “desirable” place for the VIP.
The Gujarat Police official said it would “not be possible” to hold a rally at the venue as it was “highly congested” and “complicated”. Modi was denied permission to hold rally at ‘Benia Bagh ground’ which is located at the heart of the holy city. The BJP’s prime ministerial nominee was to address the rally on Thursday but took out a roadshow instead from Benaras Hindu University to the party headquarters in the city after his rally was not cleared by the local administration.
Describing the permission issue as “purely an operational problem”, Brahma said, “You are entitled to take a decision under law. You have a right and duty to take a decision.” However, at the same time, he said, “the person has a right to know yes or no... It should be communicated in an appropriate time. My only point is that there should be no delay in saying a yes or no.”
Describing the entire episode as “unfortunate”, the Commissioner said things “should not have escalated” to a level that it comes to the central poll panel. The authorities should be “prompt” and quicken the process, he said, adding “if you take 20 minutes normally, you should or may take 10 mins or 5 mins.” Meanwhile, Brahma also clarified that Exit polls are banned only till May 12, the last day of polling. Earlier, the Election Commissioner said ban is till May 16.
BJP national spokesperson Sudhansu Trivedi said while Congress vice-president Rahul who is couple of notch above in the security watch list was allowed to hold roadshow but Modi, a lok Sabha candidate from the city, was denied his public meeting.