"Are You Aware Of Your Powers?": Top Court To Election Commission

Supreme Court to hear case of Election Commission's views on Model Code of Conduct

NEW DELHI: 

Upset over a series of violations of model code of conduct, the Supreme Court today pulled up the Election Commission of India, and asked a representative to be present in court on Tuesday, to explain its stand. The top court will examine the powers of the Election Commission on implementing the model code of conduct. Can the Commission punish those making hate speeches along religious lines during poll campaigns?

The  court was hearing a plea seeking strict action against political parties, who use religion and caste during campaigns, to seek votes.

"What you are doing," Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi asked the election body, on leaders violating model code of conduct during campaigns. "If someone does something they should not be doing you should get into it...what is this about filing affidavits," said the Chief Justice.

When the election body replied that it seeks a reply after issuing a notice, the court said, "How many notices have you issued and against whom?"

Specifically mentioning the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Chief Justice Gogoi asked whether action has been taken against Yogi Adityanath? The poll panel replied that the case has been "closed".

The UP Chief Minister at a rally in Ghaziabad earlier said "Congress people used to serve terrorists biryani, but Modiji's Sena (Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Army) gives them only bullets and bombs." He had come under severe criticism from political opponents and army veterans for politicising the forces. Even union minister VK Singh rebuked Yogi Adityanath, saying that the "army does not belong to any individual but to the entire nation"

Five days after his remarks the Election Commission told Yogi Adityanath to "be careful" in the future. A day after Yogi Adityanath got a notice from the election body, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, too was asked to watch out after she asked Muslims "not to split votes" while campaigning in Deoband. 

Coming down strongly on the election body's representative, the Supreme Court said, "Are you aware of your powers? We will get the Chief Election Commissioner here if you don't answer the questions."

At loss for words on the election body's reply, the top court said, "The Election Commission says 'we are toothless'! They issue a notice if someone violates model code...or uses religion or caste for votes...then an advisory of they don't follow notice." 

COMMENT

"We would like to examine the matter, we want a representative of the EC who is conversant with the details to appear," the court said.

"To Hell With It": Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut Openly Challenges Model Code

Sanjay Raut has already been served a notice for comments on Kanhaiya Kumar earlier


MUMBAI: 

Senior Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha lawmaker Sanjay Raut today openly challenged the Election Commission's Model Code of Conduct in place, in a shocking remark during a campaign in Mira-Bhayandar in Mumbai's suburb. "To hell with it, we will speak whatever comes to our mind," the Shiv Sena leader said, at the rally on Sunday.

"Hum aise log hain. Bhaad mein gaya kanoon, achar sanhita bhi hum dekh lenge. Jo baat hamare mann mein hai wo agar hum mann se bahar nahi nikalein to ghutan si hoti hai (We are such people. To hell with the law, we'll deal with the Model Code of Conduct. Whatever comes to our mind we must speak out otherwise we feel claustrophobic)", the Sena leader told the crowd.

The Election Commission has not yet commented on Sanjay Raut's remarks. The Sena leader earlier was issued a notice by the Mumbai district election officer for allegedly violating the model code of conduct over his comments against Communist Party of India's candidate Kanhaiya Kumar. 

Sanjay Raut, the editor of Shiv Sena's mouthpiece Saamana, said in the editorial that Kanhaiya Kumar must be defeated in the upcoming elections, even if it needed the BJP to "tamper with EVMs".

Kanhaiya Kumar, the former president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University's student union, is contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha poll from Bihar's Begusarai.

Mumbai city Collector Shivaji Jondhale in the notice said that Sanjay Raut's statement showed "lack of faith in the deployment of EVMs and muddying the electoral process".