‘Preventing caste, communal clashes biggest challenge’

Notification for municipal elections will be released by June 6 , says state election commissioner

BAREILLY: : In his first visit to Bareilly this year, the state election commissioner (SEC) said preventing caste and communal clashes during the upcoming municipal election later this year would be a big challenge.

“Caste and communal clashes in the state pose the biggest challenge during elections and the police department must take serious action against those involved in such activities,” said SK Agarwal, state election commissioner of UP. He went further to rap police department for failing to curb such incidents.

“The police have only limited itself to charging a few people under prohibitory orders after every incident rather than arresting big criminals,” Agarwal remarked, adding that police are required to take impartial, swift and strict action against such criminals to reduce crime rate. “People lose trust in the administration when the police fail to bring named criminals to justice. This situation is alarming and the police department must take strict against criminals to keep people’s trust,” he said. Agarwal held a three-hourlong meeting with senior police and administrative officials of Bareilly and Moradabad divisions before interacting with media persons on Friday.

In the meeting, he asked police officials to arrest named criminals under Goonda Act. “The police department has already started arresting such criminals, but the rate of arrest is not satisfactory. Police must work hard to improve this,” he said. The state election commissioner informed that the notification for the municipal elections will be released by June 6. Talking about security management during polls, he said, “We have decided to have central surveillance of all hyper-sensitive polling booths across the state through CCTV cameras.”

Around 10% polling booths in the state are hypersensitive, informed Agarwal.

IMPOSSIBLE TO TAMPER WITH EVMS

Asked about the ongoing debate over possible tampering of EVMs , the SEC said EVMs are tamper-proof. “There is no need to pay heed to those alleging EVM tampering, “he said.