New Delhi, December 20
The Rashtriya Janata Dal’s (RJD) bid to retain power in Bihar today received a major jolt with the Election Commission issuing a show-cause notice to the party as to why it should “not be de-recognised” for violating the Model Code of Conduct. It also directed the authorities to register an FIR against the party chief and Railway Minister, Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav, for allegedly violating the code by distributing money to people in Patna.
The notice was issued under the Symbols Order, commission sources said, adding that the party had been given time till 3 pm on December 24 for filing its reply to the show-cause
notice.
It deputed a special observer Sayan Chatterjee to monitor the rally and sent its Adviser K.J Rao to oversee the situation. It also directed the Railway Board Chairman not to provide any special trains for the rally.
Meanwhile, the BJP-led Opposition took this opportunity to attack the government and sought the removal of Mr Yadav from the Union Cabinet. The party also held the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, equally responsible for the action of his Cabinet colleague.
EC sources said the poll panel had directed that an FIR should be filed under Section 171(B) of the Indian Penal Code relating to bribery as an electoral offence and other provisions of law.
Meanwhile, an agency report from Patna said the Chief Electoral Officer, Mr K.C Saha, had filed the FIR on the directive of the CEC.
The decision to file an FIR was taken at a meeting of the full commission, chaired by the Chief Election Commissioner, Mr T.S Krishna Murthy.
The code has come into force following the commission’s announcement to hold three phased polls in February.
The poll panel’s decision comes in the wake of media reports that Mr Yadav had distributed money to a group of people in a village near Patna on Saturday.
An RJD delegation met the poll panel soon after the commission issued directions to file an FIR.
The leader of the RJD delegation, Mr D.P Yadav, said “we have been strictly following the guidelines issued by the EC and would extend full cooperation in the investigation ordered by the EC.”
Defending his action, Mr Yadav today said he had not violated the code of conduct by distributing money to the poor.
“I am used to giving money to poor Dalits’’, the RJD supremo told mediapersons. In a lighter vein, he added “Thank God, I have been shown giving money by the electronic media and not while taking it.”
Opposition parties attacked Mr Yadav alleging that he was trying to woo voters by bribing them. A delegation of the BJP leaders also met the Election Commission and
complained to it against Mr Yadav. Various political parties, including the BJP, lodged the complaint against the RJD leader for violating the code of conduct by distributing money in the state.
The BJP said the EC should take action against Mr Yadav and de-recognise his party. “The EC should not be a mute spectator to the incident or look helpless,” the BJP memorandum said.
BJP parliamentary party spokesperson Vijay Kumar Malhotra said the RJD leader’s clarification in Parliament regarding the distribution of money to the slum dwellers and the Dalits in Bihar was “more insulting” than his own “shocking action” before the camera. “Dr Singh should either remove Mr Yadav or give a statement in this regard clarifying his stand, Mr Malhotra said, adding the Prime Minister should take note of the statement of his Cabinet colleague as the functioning of the government was a collective responsibility.
Meanwhile, in Parliament angry NDA members, seeking an explanation from the Prime Minister, Mr Manmohan Singh, on the Laloo episode held a noisy protest and later staged a walkout as the Prime Minister was not present in the House. Responding to the issue, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad assured Rajya Sabha that the government would look into the matter.
Taking exception to Mr Yadav’s conduct, BJP members noisily walked out of Lok Sabha saying “since the Prime Minister is not present to respond, we are leaving the House.”
Mr Malhotra, who had also briefly raised the issue before the question hour was taken up this morning, said the whole country had seen Mr Yadav on TV channels distributing Rs 100 currency notes to slum dwellers and asking them to come to Patna to attend RJD rally on December 23. The Railway Minister had drawn flak last week from the Opposition for flying straight from the site of train accident in Punjab to Bihar instead of returning to the House to make a statement on the train mishap.
