EC puts curbs on Yogi, Mayawati campaign

73hrs Yogi has been barred from campaigning from 6am on April 16

48hrs mayawati has been barred from campaigning

new delhi — The Election Commission on Monday barred BSP chief Mayawati and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from campaigning in the Lok Sabha elections for 48 and 72 hours, respectively.

While the action against Mayawati came for violating the Model Code of Conduct when she asked Muslims at a rally in Saharanpur to vote in favour of the SP-BSP-RLD combine, Adityanath was barred over his “green virus” and “Ali and Bajrang Bali” comments.

“The Commission, under Article 324 of the Constitution and other powers enabling in this behalf, bars him from holding any public meetings, public processions, public rallies, road shows and interviews, public utterances in media (electronic, print, social media) in connection with ongoing elections for 72 hours from 6am on April 16 (Tuesday),” the Election Commission order on Adityanath said.

In a separate order, the Election Commission censured Mayawati and “strongly condemned the impugned statements made by her”.

It said she would also be barred from holding any public meetings, processions, rallies, road shows and interviews, public utterance in media related to elections for 48 hours.

The Commission said that it was convinced that both leaders had made “highly provocative” speeches which had the tone and tenor to “aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred between different religious communities”.

It added that the two leaders had also violated provisions of the model code by making appeals to secure votes on religious lines. —