Close X
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
ADVT 
India

Modi rally disallowed on security grounds on local advice, says CEC

Darpan News Desk IANS, 08 May, 2014 09:56 AM
  • Modi rally disallowed on security grounds on local advice, says CEC
Dismissing the BJP's allegations of lack of neutrality, Chief Election Commissioner V.S.Sampath Thursday said the party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi was denied permission to hold a rally in his constituency Varanasi following "professional advice on security grounds".
 
He also said that the party's demand to have the returning officer of the constituency removed was being looked into, while deploring "attempts to cast aspersions on the ECI at a very sensitive juncture of the poll process"a, which also "cause long-term damage" to the institution.
 
On the permission sought by BJP to hold a rally in Beniabagh, Sampath said that the poll panel took the feedback from the Varanasi district magistrate, who is also the returning officer and it was "decided that permission could not be granted on security grounds". 
 
"When issues of security and suitability are involved, the commission would go by the professional advice and expertise" of the local authorities, he said.
 
Sampath said that an appeal was made by the Bharatiya Janata Party Wednesday to review its request to hold the rally at the venue. 
 
"After consulting the chief secretary and the director general of police of the state (Uttar Pradesh), no reason was found to deviate from the decision taken on the advice of the local authorities," he said.
 
"This has unfortunately become a bone of contention where security and suitability issues were involved. The EC would naturally go by professional advice and the local administration cannot be ignored," he added.
 
"I do not think the Election Commission can be faulted...We have always acted in the interest of upholding the constitution," he added.
 
The CEC asked the political parties to "understand" when permission to hold rallies could not be granted due to certain "complexities" involved. 
 
"We deplore attempts to cast aspersions on the EC at a very sensitive juncture of the poll process. This could cause long-term damage to the EC," he said.
 
On the issue of removing the Varanasi returning officer, as demanded by the BJP, Sampath said that in denying permission to hold the rally at Beniabagh, the officer had tendered his "professional advice". 
 
However, he added that the BJP has presented "more instances" of alleged lack of neutral conduct on the part of the RO and that they "will be inquired into".
 
"Officers are transferred only when necessary, after we have made our independent verification," he said.
 
Thousands of BJP activists protested in Varanasi and New Delhi against the Election Commission's curb on the Beniabagh rally.
 
Before Modi flew into the Hindu holy city Thursday evening to address one rally that got the poll panel's green signal late Wednesday, a virtual army of BJP workers and leaders staged noisy demonstrations outside the Banaras Hindu University and the district magistrate's office.
 
Sampath also said that the EC was looking into the complaint that Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was present at a booth inspecting an electronic voting machine in Amethi while polling was on Wednesday. "We have asked for a factual report on the matter," he said.

MORE India ARTICLES

'Mother-son' government on its way out, says Modi

'Mother-son' government on its way out, says Modi
BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi Friday accused the Congress of bringing devastation to the country, and said voters have ensured that the "mother-son" government is on its way out.

'Mother-son' government on its way out, says Modi

TV anchor Amrita Rai files hacking complaint

TV anchor Amrita Rai files hacking complaint
A day after her intimate photographs with Congress leader Digvijaya Singh appeared on a social networking site, TV anchor Amrita Rai Thursday lodged a police complaint, saying her email and social network accounts were hacked.

TV anchor Amrita Rai files hacking complaint

Man stabs girl 30 times after marriage proposal rejected

Man stabs girl 30 times after marriage proposal rejected
A 39-year-old man killed his female friend by stabbing her 30 times when she turned down his marriage proposal, police said. The accused has been arrested.

Man stabs girl 30 times after marriage proposal rejected

Now buy condoms, healthcare products at Delhi Metro stations

Now buy condoms, healthcare products at Delhi Metro stations
Healthcare products will now be available to Delhi Metro commuters through vending machines being set up at various stations, a contraceptive manufacturer said here Thursday.

Now buy condoms, healthcare products at Delhi Metro stations

SC appoints Justice Shah to head SIT on black money

SC appoints Justice Shah to head SIT on black money
The Supreme Court Thursday appointed Justice (retd) M.B. Shah as the chairman of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up to investigate the stashing away of black money in foreign banks and suggest ways to bring it back to India.

SC appoints Justice Shah to head SIT on black money

My father is Rajiv Gandhi: Priyanka to Modi's daughter comment

My father is Rajiv Gandhi: Priyanka to Modi's daughter comment
In a scathing retort to Narendra Modi's reported "daughter" comment, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Thursday said she was the daughter of late former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, while controversy-hit Doordarshan clarified there was no "deliberate editing" of the BJP prime ministerial candidate's interview.

My father is Rajiv Gandhi: Priyanka to Modi's daughter comment