Batra accuses officials of being hand in glove with Grover
CHANDIGARH: Former Congress MLA from Rohtak Bharat Bhushan Batra on Thursday said he will make a representation to the Election Commission seeking action against Rohtak administration officials for allegedly being hand in glove with Haryana minister Manish Grover, in facilitating his entry in polling booths in an unauthorised manner on May 12.
Talking to mediapersons, Batra also demanded Grover’s removal from the council of ministers.
Criticizing chief minister ML Khattar for not taking cognisance of Grover’s “misdemeanor”, he said, “Khattar took a high moral ground in criticising Trinamool Congress workers for their undemocratic act during BJP chief Amit Shah’s roadshow in Kolkata. But he hasn’t spoken a word about what Grover did in Rohtak. The very fact that his minister was moving around with goons and without any permission on the polling day called for action against him.’’
On the BJP’s reaction that the Congress is making excuses since it is losing in Rohtak, the former MLA said the Congress is not demanding a re-poll because the party nominee is winning comfortably.
Both Grover and Batra were on Wednesday booked by the police for their disorderly conduct at a polling station and disobedience to an order of a public servant. The duo got booked for entering a polling booth in Rohtak assembly segment without authorisation.
Batra, however, said that it was unfair of the police to have booked him since he went inside the polling station to check Grover, who was repeatedly violating the law by entering polling stations.
“I, at least, had the authorisation to move around on the polling day as a representative of the Congress candidate. Grover had no business moving around since he did not have the permission. Not only was he moving around on the polling day, but he also entered a number of polling stations. And none of the officials checked him,’’ he alleged.
FORMER ROHTAK MP AND CONGRESS LEADER DEMANDS MANISH GROVER’S REMOVAL FROM STATE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS