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FIR against Tandon in stampede case
Our Correspondent

Lucknow, April 17
The Election Commission today filed an FIR against senior BJP leader Lalji Tandon and his associates for “violating” the Model Code of Conduct by organising a function to distribute free sarees among poor women here on the occasion of Tandon’s birthday on April 12.

In its two-page FIR, the Election Commission said that the whole function was “sponsored, managed and organised by the BJP workers with a view to inducing the poor and brighten the electoral prospect of the BJP candidates.”

It further said that sarees were offered as gratification and inducement to the persons coming to the function, the objective of which was to induce the persons to exercise their electoral rights for the BJP candidates.

“In this manner free and fair election were illegally influenced,” the FIR said.

It further said that Model Code of Conduct pertaining to the election had been violated. “It has also come out from the reports submitted by the District Election Officer/District Magistrate and other officers that though Section 144 was enforced in the entire city of Lucknow, the function with such a large gathering took place without the requisite required permission from the district authorities and officials of the area,” it said.

“A prima facie case of giving gratification to a large number of poor people with the objective of inducing them to exercise their electoral right in favour of BJP candidate emerges from the above fact,” the Election Commission said in its FIR.

Calling distribution of sarees as an act of “bribery”, the EC said this action of the organisers is punishable under Section 171 (B) of the IPC.

Meanwhile, one of the organizers of the function Brijendra Yadav today surrendered before the CJM. He was later released on bail.

Reply to EC notice to be in time, says BJP
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 17
Asserting that the BJP was not directly or indirectly involved in the saree distribution function in Lucknow during which 22 persons were killed, the BJP today said that it would reply to the Election Commission’s show-cause notice within the stipulated time.

It lashed out against the Congress for criticising the BJP over the saree episode and demanding the Election Commission to countermand the polls in Lucknow from where Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is seeking mandate for the sixth time.

“We got the Election Commission notice today and we have been given a week’s time to reply. We have sought details about the April 12 incident from Lalji Tandon and would give a suitable reply within the stipulated time,” BJP spokesperson and General Secretary Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told newspersons here.

Mr Naqvi sought to reiterate the BJP stand that the party was not “directly or indirectly” involved with the April 12 birthday function of Mr Tandon.

“Such functions were being organised in Lucknow every year by voluntary organisations on Mr Tandon’s birthday and what happened on April 12 was most unfortunate,” he said.

Asked to react on the bribery charge against Mr Tandon, Mr Naqvi said “Mr Tandon will answer that”.

The Election Commission had yesterday ordered registration of a bribery case against Mr Tandon and the transfer of District Magistrate Aradhna Shukla and Senior Superintendent of Police, Lucknow, Rajiv Ranjan Varma, for a prima facie violation of the model code of conduct in the saree episode.

Besides, the EC also issued a show-cause notice to the BJP asking for a reply within seven days.

Asked whether Mr Tandon would be the election agent of Mr Vajpayee, who filed his nomination from Lucknow yesterday, Mr Naqvi said in none of the elections in 1998 and 1999 had Mr Tandon been the Prime Minister’s election agent.

Accusing the Congress for “acting like an extra constitutional authority” by demanding action against Mr Tandon, he said “it is for the Election Commission to take a decision in the matter and it is unfortunate that the Congress is acting like an extra-constitutional authority by demanding action. against Tandon”.

Tandon may be sidelined by BJP
Our Correspondent

LUCKNOW: The BJP seems set to “sideline” Mr Lalji Tandon during whose birthday celebrations 21 women and children were killed in a stampede.

After the Election Commission has indicted Tandon and has termed the free distribution of sarees as “a corrupt practice” to entice the voters, the BJP thinktank in Uttar Pradesh is now busy in damage-control exercise. In a show of bravado, the BJP had projected Mr Tandon as one of the nominators during the nomination of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Thursday last, three days after the tragic incident. Mr Vajpayee had clarified then that Mr Tandon would be his campaign manager, when rumours went around that Tandon could be replaced.