Round The States
New Delhi, 27 April 2024 Banswara ‘Hate Speech’
EC NOTICE TO NADDA, NOT MODI!
By Insaf
As Rajasthan
goes to the polls among 13 States for 89 seats in the second phase of the 2024
battle, Banswara may go down in electoral history. Prime Minister Modi’s campaign
speech in the city viewed as ‘malicious’, ‘divisive’, targeting a particular
religious community, going viral on
social media, hitting headlines and editorials saying ‘No, Prime Minister’ et
al, did get the Election Commission to break its silence, but its action
remains hushed. Importantly, while it's for the first time it took cognisance
of a complaint against a Prime Minister for violating the MCC, it’s also a first
when it changes the rules of the game. It doesn’t issue a notice to Modi but to
BJP President Nadda, seeking his response by Monday. The so-called blow is
softened as it simultaneously issues a notice to Congress President Kharge on complaint
filed by BJP alleging violation by him and Rahul Gandhi, for ‘creating
linguistic and cultural divide.’ While it justifies its directives saying the
party Presidents must bring to the notice of all his party star campaigners to
set high standards of political discourse and observe provisions of MCC in
letter and spirit and that campaign speeches made by those holding high
positions have more serious consequences, there are few takers. Of course, Congress
has given it a thumbs down saying the step is reflective of the ‘inhibition’ and
‘fear’ on Nirvachan Sadan’s part to act against the PM.
Indeed,
the Commission doesn’t name Modi, but its letter to Nadda contains the
complaints filed by Congress, Left parties and civil society groups. So, the
public needs to join the dots. What is of concern is a clear shift in EC’s standard
response; it used to take up complaints against individuals, even ‘star campaigners’
and leaders. A former Election Commissioner is quoted to have said, the EC’s
move is fraught. “If you issue a notice to a party for comments of a leader, how
much of a room do you have to act against the leader?” And the next question
would be if the party gives an unsatisfactory reply, what action will the
Commission take against the party? The Opposition sees the EC’s stand as weak, taken
under ‘public pressure’. But EC insists ‘it has taken a view that while
individual star campaigners would continue to remain responsible for speeches
made by them, the Commission will address party chiefs ‘on a case-to-case basis.’
Will it make BJP’s ‘star campaigner’ responsible, or let the dust settle down
in the Banswara case? No need for a guessing game.
* * * *
Delhi’s
New Victim
Delhi’s
ongoing political tussle in an outside Tihar jail has a new victim. Elections
to MCD’s posts of mayor and deputy mayor, to be held on Friday stand deferred.
Lt Governor V K Saxena in a letter to Chief Secretary a day before said “These
are peculiar and unprecedented circumstances where the serving Chief Minister
(Arvind Kejriwal) is under judicial custody as an undertrial prisoner involving
a corruption case and therefore cannot discharge his constitutionally obligated
functions.” The appointment of a ‘presiding officer, he added couldn’t be made
in the absence of inputs from CM, who is lodged in Tihar Jail, ‘coupled with
the factum that the minister is making wild and baseless allegations…’
Therefore, incumbent Mayor and Dy Mayor will continue to hold their positions
till elections can be held in terms of legal provisions. AAP predictably says
it’s at ‘BJP’s behest, which doesn’t want a Dalit mayor; the Centre was
hatching a conspiracy to halt these polls and oust AAP from MCD.’ In fact, it
may be more than meets the eye— a step towards the big question whether a CM
can constitutionally continue to run the government from jail!
* * * *
Surat
Outcry
BJP’s
Surat candidate Mukesh Dalal, being declared elected unopposed has raised a hornet’s
nest. While the BJP sees it as first victory towards its goal of 400 plus
seats, Congress and AAP who have an alliance in Gujarat have termed it as
‘match fixing’ The sequence of events are telling: Congress candidate’s nomination is declared void as the four
proposers names are said to be forged, the party’s ‘substitute’ candidate’s
papers are invalidated and four Independents,
three from smaller parties and BSP candidate withdraw their nominations! “Our
elections, our democracy, Ambedkar’s Constitution -- all are under a
generational threat,” said a livid Congress and complained to EC alleging it
was done by exerting “wrong and undue influence”. It demanded the poll process
in that seat be restarted. It’s partner, AAP which did not put up a candidate put
its demand that EC register a case against Congress candidate: either he be
booked on charges of forgery or his proposers be booked for giving false
declaration on oath. This would help to get to the bottom of this electoral
scam. Sooner the better.
* * * *
WB
Gets On Offensive
A
belligerent West Bengal government takes pot shots at the judiciary. “Illegal,
gross injustice, a ploy by the BJP…”, are words chosen by Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee in her reaction to the Calcutta High Court’s Monday order declaring ‘null
and void’ all (25,753) appointments of teachers and non-teaching staff through
State Level Selection Test-2016 (SLST) in government-sponsored and aided
schools, and directing them to return their salaries with interest as well as
asking state School Service Commission to initiate a fresh recruitment process.
The division bench, set up on Supreme Court’s instructions, also ordered CBI to
further probe the appointment process and submit a report within 3 months.
Recall, former state education minister Partha Chatterjee and some
functionaries, were arrested by CBI for alleged anomalies in recruitment,
wherein over 23 lakh candidates had appeared for the test for 24,640 vacant
posts. While the petitioners were thrilled, TMC leader Abhishek trashed the order
saying “Just as we've heard of match-fixing in cricket, what is happening now
is ‘fixing of orders’, a collaboration between a certain section of judiciary
and BJP to inflict suffering on people…’ The government has petitioned the top
court and even said it will continue to give wages to the staff till its
verdict! Guess, TMC believes in the idiom: best defence is a good offense!
* * * *
Voting Akin to Attending Wedding!
Turning
polling day into something like attending a wedding is Haryana’s way, among
others to enthuse voters. The idea is of state CEO whose office shall be
sending out an ‘invitation’, designed like a wedding card, to every family
urging the voter not to forget to cast his/her vote. The invites, 50-lakh odd,
will also have a voter slip and guidelines and booth level officials will
receive the voters. Other measures include: posters at schools wherein kids are
given a pamphlet to encourage their parents, neighbours to vote and a link on
its website for successful kids to later upload selfies with parents; an
c-VIGIL mobile app to keep a close watch on MCC violations and voters
complaints shall be resolved in 100 minutes; an app ‘Voters-in-Queue’, shall
provide information about the queue at polling centres so that they can go to
vote as the crowd thins out. Will the concept get 75% voter turnout instead of
70.36% five years ago? Well, the CEO, like the bride’s family, will be waiting
anxiously on d-day, May 25 for the baratis! ---INFA
(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)
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