Election Commission gags Yogi Adityanath for 72 hours, Mayawati for 48; he stays unapologetic, she cries foul
NEW DELHI: On a day it drew flak from the SC for failing to rein in debatable statements of politicians, the Election Commission barred 4 senior leaders - UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Union minister Maneka Gandhi, BSP leader Mayawati and SP chief Azam Khan - from campaigning for 48-72 hours for his or her "highly provocative" or "derogatory" remarks made right through the process campaigning.
Adityanath and Khan were prohibited for 72 hours, starting 6am and 10am, respectively, on April 16, from protecting public conferences, processions, rallies, road displays and interviews and public utterances in media in reference to the continued polls. A similar ban, although for 48 hours starting 6am and 10am, respectively, on April 16, used to be put on Mayawati and Maneka for what the EC termed as appeals to communal emotions for votes.
However, Adityanath and Mayawati stood through their remarks. "I used the term 'green virus' for the thought which practises vote bank politics on religious lines... Such narrow thought is harmful for healthy politics... Those practising such politics have to be eliminated just the way a virus is removed," the CM said.
Mayawati known as the EC "anti-Dalit" and accused it of running at the behest of BJP.
The Election Commission said on Monday it "strongly condemned" UP CM Yogi Adityanath for his "green virus" and "Ali-Bajrang Bali" remarks made whilst campaigning in Meerut on April 9 and "censures" him for the "misconduct". Passing a similar verdict in opposition to BSP leader Mayawati for her "highly provocative speech" on April 7 at Deoband, Saharanpur, asking Muslims to vote unitedly in favour in their candidate, the EC concluded that each Adityanath and Mayawati's remarks "contaminated" the electoral procedure.
Within hours of issuing the orders in opposition to Adityanath and Mayawati, the EC came out with a similar order prohibiting campaigning through Union minister Maneka Gandhi for 48 hours for her April 11 remarks in Sultanpur suggesting that she won't suggest Muslims for jobs if they don't vote for her. SP chief Azam Khan used to be pulled up for his "indecent, derogatory and totally uncalled for" remarks in opposition to Jaya Prada in Rampur on Sunday. Maneka and Khan were "strongly condemned" for his or her statements and reprimanded for the misconduct.
Indeed, the EC gave the impression set to slap every other notice on Khan for his alleged remark that he would make the district Justice of the Peace of Rampur wipe Mayawati's shoes.
Reacting to the EC order, Mayawati said: "Shah and Modi continue to spread hatred. But they have been given a free run to create discord. Yogi tried to divide people on the lines of Ali and Bajrang Bali. I did not start it. Modi has been warned against using the defence services in his speeches but he continues to do so. The EC has not had the courage to issue a notice to the real culprit, Narendra Modi."
The action came after the SC frowned upon the poll watchdog for failing to curb debatable utterances, and termed it "toothless". However, an EC functionary clarified that its action in opposition to the 4 senior leaders, taken under Article 324 of the Constitution, used to be now not a fallout of the SC wondering the EC. He said the poll frame had met on Sunday to speak about the leaders' replies to its notices and decide on imaginable action.
TOI had reported on May 12 that the EC, concerned at the repeated communal references through senior leaders right through the Lok Sabha marketing campaign regardless of the SC banning such appeals, used to be contemplating stern action, together with temporarily banning repeat and serious offenders from campaigning.
This is not the first time that the EC has barred best political leaders from campaigning. BJP president Amit Shah and Azam Khan were banned from protecting public conferences and rallies in UP right through the final Lok Sabha polls. BJP chief Giriraj Singh, too, used to be barred from campaigning in Bihar and Jharkhand in 2014.
On why the EC barred Adityanath and Azam Khan for 72 hours whilst proscribing Mayawati's and Maneka's debarment to 48 hours, EC sources said punishment for the CM used to be higher as this used to be the second time he used to be found to blame of getting violated the style code. The EC had previous let him off with advice to be careful with his public utterances. Similarly, Khan used to be barred from campaigning in UP even within the final Lok Sabha polls and used to be censured. The EC said he had now not modified his tactics and used to be nonetheless the usage of objectionable language.
Adityanath and Khan were prohibited for 72 hours, starting 6am and 10am, respectively, on April 16, from protecting public conferences, processions, rallies, road displays and interviews and public utterances in media in reference to the continued polls. A similar ban, although for 48 hours starting 6am and 10am, respectively, on April 16, used to be put on Mayawati and Maneka for what the EC termed as appeals to communal emotions for votes.
However, Adityanath and Mayawati stood through their remarks. "I used the term 'green virus' for the thought which practises vote bank politics on religious lines... Such narrow thought is harmful for healthy politics... Those practising such politics have to be eliminated just the way a virus is removed," the CM said.
Mayawati known as the EC "anti-Dalit" and accused it of running at the behest of BJP.
The Election Commission said on Monday it "strongly condemned" UP CM Yogi Adityanath for his "green virus" and "Ali-Bajrang Bali" remarks made whilst campaigning in Meerut on April 9 and "censures" him for the "misconduct". Passing a similar verdict in opposition to BSP leader Mayawati for her "highly provocative speech" on April 7 at Deoband, Saharanpur, asking Muslims to vote unitedly in favour in their candidate, the EC concluded that each Adityanath and Mayawati's remarks "contaminated" the electoral procedure.
Within hours of issuing the orders in opposition to Adityanath and Mayawati, the EC came out with a similar order prohibiting campaigning through Union minister Maneka Gandhi for 48 hours for her April 11 remarks in Sultanpur suggesting that she won't suggest Muslims for jobs if they don't vote for her. SP chief Azam Khan used to be pulled up for his "indecent, derogatory and totally uncalled for" remarks in opposition to Jaya Prada in Rampur on Sunday. Maneka and Khan were "strongly condemned" for his or her statements and reprimanded for the misconduct.
Indeed, the EC gave the impression set to slap every other notice on Khan for his alleged remark that he would make the district Justice of the Peace of Rampur wipe Mayawati's shoes.
Reacting to the EC order, Mayawati said: "Shah and Modi continue to spread hatred. But they have been given a free run to create discord. Yogi tried to divide people on the lines of Ali and Bajrang Bali. I did not start it. Modi has been warned against using the defence services in his speeches but he continues to do so. The EC has not had the courage to issue a notice to the real culprit, Narendra Modi."
The action came after the SC frowned upon the poll watchdog for failing to curb debatable utterances, and termed it "toothless". However, an EC functionary clarified that its action in opposition to the 4 senior leaders, taken under Article 324 of the Constitution, used to be now not a fallout of the SC wondering the EC. He said the poll frame had met on Sunday to speak about the leaders' replies to its notices and decide on imaginable action.
TOI had reported on May 12 that the EC, concerned at the repeated communal references through senior leaders right through the Lok Sabha marketing campaign regardless of the SC banning such appeals, used to be contemplating stern action, together with temporarily banning repeat and serious offenders from campaigning.
This is not the first time that the EC has barred best political leaders from campaigning. BJP president Amit Shah and Azam Khan were banned from protecting public conferences and rallies in UP right through the final Lok Sabha polls. BJP chief Giriraj Singh, too, used to be barred from campaigning in Bihar and Jharkhand in 2014.
On why the EC barred Adityanath and Azam Khan for 72 hours whilst proscribing Mayawati's and Maneka's debarment to 48 hours, EC sources said punishment for the CM used to be higher as this used to be the second time he used to be found to blame of getting violated the style code. The EC had previous let him off with advice to be careful with his public utterances. Similarly, Khan used to be barred from campaigning in UP even within the final Lok Sabha polls and used to be censured. The EC said he had now not modified his tactics and used to be nonetheless the usage of objectionable language.
Election Commission gags Yogi Adityanath for 72 hours, Mayawati for 48; he stays unapologetic, she cries foul
![Election Commission gags Yogi Adityanath for 72 hours, Mayawati for 48; he stays unapologetic, she cries foul]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
April 16, 2019
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