The Congress on Saturday hit out at the Election Commission for decreasing the campaigning ban on Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and mentioned it’s a darkish day for parliamentary democracy and historical past is not going to pardon the panel. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala mentioned it was deplorable that the EC couldn’t maintain its personal order and accused the ballot physique of buckling underneath strain of the Modi authorities by decreasing the ban on Sarma from 48 hours to 24 hours.
The Election Commission Friday had banned Sarma from all modes of campaigning for 48 hours for allegedly making threatening remarks in opposition to Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) chief Hagrama Mohilary however diminished it to 24 hours this night after the minister tendered an “unconditional apology” and guaranteed the ballot panel that he’ll abide by the provisions of the mannequin code. “A dark day for Parliamentary democracy. ECI doesn’t even have the guts to sustain its own order. Deplorable that EC buckles under Modi Government’s pressure and reverses its own order of ban on Sh. Himanta Biswa Sarma. History will neither pardon ECI nor BJP for this sin,” Surjewala mentioned on Twitter.
Questioning the EC, he requested why did it make this transformation of coronary heart and why it didn’t search the feedback of the complainant. The Congress had complained to the EC in opposition to Sarma and demanded motion in opposition to him for giving threats to Mohilary.
“Will the ECI tell – Was this somersault taken suo moto or on a fresh plea by BJP/Himanta Sarma? If yes, why did EC then not call upon the complainant, BPF and Congress? If no, why this vexatious change of heart,” Surjewala requested. “Does it now give a license to issue threat with impunity,” he additional requested.
Congress common secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra alleged that the EC appears to have torn down the web page of “impartiality” from its rulebook. “While we were awaiting strict action from the Election Commission in the case in which an EVM was found in the BJP leader’s car, but another move of the Commission seems to suggest that it has torn down the page of impartiality from its rulebook,” she mentioned in a tweet in Hindi.
“After all, under what pressure was the ban on BJP leader, who was giving threats, reduced from 48 hours to 24 hours,” she requested. Another Congress chief Jaiveer Shergill mentioned “ban on Himanta Biswa Sarma, the EC itself has given the proof that they are involved in ‘fixing’ the election for BJP.” “The EC must explain why sudden change of heart? Who in BJP called up to threaten them? EC shamelessly becoming BJP co-conspirator in hijacking democracy,” he alleged.
After the EC diminished the ban, Sarma turned eligible to marketing campaign from the night. Canvassing for the third and last section of Assam meeting elections involves an finish on the night of April 4. The last section of polling will likely be held on April 6.
In his contemporary illustration to EC on Saturday, Sarma pleaded for decreasing the ban to 24 hours on the bottom that he’s himself a candidate within the constituency which is scheduled to go for polls on Tuesday. He additionally sought an unconditional apology from the EC, which was thought-about.
