CEC dares oppn to give proof of attempts to influence polling
The Opposition should also tell the Commission about those trying to influence the poll process before the counting of votes begins, Kumar said at a press conference
PTI
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Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar
New Delhi, 3 June
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv
Kumar on Monday dared the Opposition to share evidence of allegations that
returning officers and district magistrates were influenced to vitiate the poll
process so the panel could take action against them.
The Opposition should also tell the
Commission about those trying to influence the poll process before the counting
of votes begins, Kumar said at a press conference. He was flanked by Election
Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and SS Sandhu. "You cannot spread a rumour and
bring everyone under a cloud of suspicion," Kumar said.
The Commission had made
preparations to deal with any foreign attempt to influence the poll process but
these allegations have come from within the country itself, he said in an
apparent dig at the opposition.
Taking exception to allegations
that district magistrates were being influenced, the CEC said, "Those
levelling allegations should say which DM was influenced and we will punish
them. They should tell us before the counting process begins."
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had
claimed that Home Minister Amit Shah had been calling district magistrates and
collectors and indulging in "blatant and brazen" intimidation.
District magistrates and collectors
are the returning officers of their respective districts during election. Ramesh
claimed that Shah had already spoken with 150 district magistrates or
collectors.
Kumar had accepted all the demands
made by the multi-party delegation that met the panel on Sunday, and asserted
that the issues raised by them were part of the election process going on for
seven decades. "Some demands were made by a multi-party delegation. We
have agreed to all the demands," Kumar said, indicating that most of the
issues raised by the multi-party delegation were part of election manuals.
"This process has been going
on for 70 years... We have instructed every RO/ARO. These are our orders and
they are no joke… Everyone has been instructed to follow the
handbook/manuals," Kumar said.
Kumar admitted that the Election
Commission had failed to counter the mischievous narratives spread during the
poll process.
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