Srinagar
Stating that Congress party’s assertions of the BJP misusing institutions for electoral gains were proving right day by day, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) Vice President and former MLC G N Monga on Saturday said Election Commission was not acting in a free and fair manner in dealing with complaints of violation of the model code of conduct by the BJP.
In a statement, Monga said, “Army officers posted in Leh province have been accused of violating electoral norms by asking soldiers to specify their voting preferences by phone and casting votes on their behalf instead of adhering to the standard procedure of providing ballot paper.”
“Earlier, on May 3, Leh Press Club lodged a complaint that four of its members were offered bribes soon after a press conference by state BJP chief Ravinder Raina and MLC Vikram Randhawa on May 2. The club accused the BJP of violating the model code of conduct and sought action against party leaders,” he said and added journalists on record said that the Raina and Randhawa offered bribes to them, but the EC has taken no action so far.
The Congress leader said such complaints are of serious nature and the EC is duty bound to take notice of these and punish the guilty according to the law. “But unfortunately, not only in the state but across the country the EC has been coming to the rescue of the BJP, including the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its president Amit Shah on various complaints of Model Code of Conduct violations,” he said.
Monga said in 2014 Lok Sabha election, the Congress candidate was winning in Ladakh region, but was ultimately made to lose by 36 votes through unfair means. “When it comes to issues of the BJP, the EC is absolutely on the straight line, when it comes to the opposition’s issues, it is completely biased. The working style of Modi, the ruling BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is to put pressure on institutions,” the Congress leader said.
“All this institutional capture that is taking place and all the negative effects of it will have consequences in the future. We are not going to allow institutions of the country and the state to be disturbed, controlled, crushed and anybody who colludes, anybody who falls to this pressure, is committing a crime,” he added.
