EC working under Centre: Azam Khan

The senior Samajwadi Party leader threatened to move court against the EC’s ban, saying that the poll commission was working in the pattern of the CBI and acting under the influence of the Centre

LUCKNOW: With hate speeches and personal attacks assuming a serious dimension during the ongoing Lok Sabha election campaign, the election commission on Sunday issued stern directives to district magistrates, district police chiefs, and poll observers to take quick and strict legal action against those candidates who are found violating the model code of conduct.

The commission has also noticed “lack of prompt intervention and close follow-up action”. Taking a serious view of the prevailing situation, the commission said these “speeches have the potential to vitiate the peaceful, free and fair election process and it is imperative on the part of the district and state level authorities to initiate prompt legal action without any delay in all such cases.”

In a fresh directive to the officers, the commission, which has already slapped ban on rallies by urban development minister Mohd Azam Khan and BJP leader Amit Shah in UP, said “inflammatory and provocative speeches are being made by some political leaders, campaigners, including star campaigners, belonging to different political parties in violation of the code”.

Since maintenance of law and order was essential for a fair election, the commission has asked the officers to have close monitoring and video recording of all campaigns and a daily record would be maintained with full involvement of observers in the process.