FIR filed against party cadre for celebration despite Covid curbs

NEW DELHI

The Election Commission (EC) said that an FIR has been filed in Tenyampet police station in T-nagar district against cadres of a political party who had burst crackers near their party headquarters on Sunday.

Addressing the media, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sushil Chandra said the instructions were issued to the Chief Secretaries and DGPS and an advisory to the heads of the political parties to stop the victory processions.

“One FIR has been filed in Tenyampet police station in T-nagar district, Greater Chennai against cadres of a political party who had burst crackers near their party headquarters. The inspector of Teynampet PS has been placed under suspension for dereliction of duty,” CEC said.

In view of a surge in COVID-19 infections, the EC earlier today wrote to Chief Secretaries of all states and Union Territories and heads of political parties to prohibit the victory celebrations where the counting of votes is underway and demanded strict compliance of directions.

In a letter to Chief Secretaries, the poll body asked to urgently prohibit the public celebrations being carried out in the context of today’s counting of votes.

“The Commission has viewed it very seriously and again directed that all necessary actions must be taken to ensure the strict compliance of its directions wherein all such activities have already been prohibited in view of the pandemic,” the EC’S letter said.

Further, the Commission directed Chief Secretaries to immediately suspend the responsible SHOS (in case they failed to prohibit the public celebrations) and initiate disciplinary actions against them. DMK workers celebrate during the counting of votes for TN assembly poll results in Chennai on Sunday.