New Delhi, September 4
In a significant development, the Election Commission today reprimanded the Haryana Government led by Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda for violating the model code of conduct in the Rohtak parliamentary constituency and also asked for the filing of FIRs against BJP and INC candidates for violating the code.
The commission, in a letter, expressed its “serious displeasure” to the Hooda government and reprimanded officials responsible for the lapses, EC sources said.
The two-member EC team, led by poll panel consultant K.J. Rao, submitted the fact-finding report after the commission rejected the report submitted by the state Chief Secretary and the Chief Electoral Officer. The byelection to the Rohtak Lok Sabha seat is scheduled for September 28.
The three-member commission found that the state government had violated the code on two counts — issuance of an advertisement on August 25 for the award of Rajiv Gandhi scholarship which would benefit 50,000 schoolchildren and expression of interest for consultants for setting up a Rajiv Gandhi educational city at Sonepat where the code was in force, the EC sources said.
The commission, the sources said, also found that the press note stating the government’s plan to establish polytechnics at Rewari and Rohtak as a violation of the code.
In view of the above violations, the commission expressed its displeasure to the state government for violating the code and reprimanded the officials for reporting these violations in their report, the sources added.
The team, headed by Mr Rao, went round the town and looked at various places where posters and banners of political
parties were displayed in violation of the Defacement of Property Act.
The two-member fact-finding team, during its tour of the Rohtak district, found violation of the code by the BJP and the Congress and their candidates on 10 and three counts, respectively.
The sources said the EC directed lodging of five FIRs against the parties and their candidates and also issued notices to them to remove six hoardings by 10 am tomorrow and the remaining seven by 5 pm tomorrow.
Haryana Pradesh BJP chief Ganesh Lal had submitted a memorandum to the commission, highlighting the violation of the Code by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
Earlier, in the day, the commission today directed the Madhya Pradesh Government to remove pictures of lotuses from all school textbooks, since the “lotus” was the symbol of the BJP.
The commission had also asked the state government for a compliance report within two weeks.
The commission in its order said the state government should fix responsibility on officials responsible for such acts.
