History will not pardon EC, says Congress as Himanta Biswa Sarma's campaign ban reduced
Rahul Gandhi slams poll body with two-word tweet
New Delhi, Apr 3: The Congress on Saturday hit out at the Election Commission for reducing the campaign ban on Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and said it is a dark day for parliamentary democracy and history will not pardon the poll panel.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at the EC, by posting on Twitter "Election 'Commission'."
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said it was deplorable that the EC could not sustain its own order and accused the poll body of buckling under pressure of the Modi government in reducing the ban on Sarma from 48 hours to 24 hours.
Former Law minister Ashwani Kumar alleged the EC has failed to discharge its obligations as far as this case is concerned as such a thing has never happened in the annals of Parliamentary democracy that the poll body reverses its decision without seeking the comments of the complainant.
The Election Commission had Friday banned Sarma from all modes of campaigning for 48 hours for allegedly making threatening remarks against Bodoland People's Front (BPF) chief Hagrama Mohilary.
However, the poll panel this evening reduced the ban to 24 hours after the minister tendered an "unconditional apology" and assured the poll panel that he will abide by the provisions of the model code.
"A dark day for Parliamentary democracy. ECI doesn't even have the guts to sustain its own order. Deplorable that EC buckles under Modi Government's pressure and reverses its own order of ban on Sh. Himanta Biswa Sarma. History will neither pardon ECI nor BJP for this sin," Surjewala said on Twitter.
Questioning the EC, he asked why did it make this change of heart and without seeking the comments of the complainant.
Former law minister Kumar also said that within 24 hours, the EC without notice "to the complainant" has reversed its own decision of barring Sarma from campaigning.
"We express our deep dismay and disappointment at the decision of the Election Commission to reduce the barring period of Himanta Biswa Sarma from 48 hours to 24 hours.
"This is unheard of in the annals of Parliamentary history that the chief election watchdog reverses its own decision made by a complainant without the courtesy of hearing him," he said.
The former minister asked whether Sarma's punishment was reduced as he has to attend a rally with Home minister Amit Shah Sunday.
"We are raising a much larger issue of principle here. The issue about the sanctity, about the functioning and about the working of the chief election watchdog, whose constitutional mandate is to preserve the purity of the electoral process," he said.
"The Election Commission has singularly failed to discharge its obligations as far as this case is concerned, as we do not not know under what circumstances the commission was persuaded by a mere letter by Mr Sarma," he said.
The Congress had complained to the EC against Sarma and demanded action against him for allegedly giving threats to Mohilary.
"Will the ECI tell - Was this somersault taken suo moto or on a fresh plea by BJP/Himanta Sarma? If yes, why did EC then not call upon the complainant, BPF and Congress? If no, why this vexatious change of heart," Surjewala asked.
"Does it now give a license to issue threat with impunity," he further asked.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra alleged that the EC seems to have torn down the page of "impartiality" from its rulebook.
"While we were awaiting strict action from the Election Commission in the case in which an EVM was found in the BJP leader's car, another move of the Commission seems to suggest that it has torn down the page of impartiality from its rulebook," she said in a tweet in Hindi.
"After all, under what pressure was the ban on BJP leader, who was giving threats, reduced from 48 hours to 24 hours," she asked.
Another Congress leader Jaiveer Shergill said, "By 'relaxing' the ban on Himanta Biswa Sarma, the EC itself has given the proof that they are involved in 'fixing' the election for BJP."
"The EC must explain why this sudden change of heart? Who in the BJP called up to threaten them? The EC shamelessly becoming BJP co-conspirator in hijacking democracy," he alleged.
After the EC reduced the ban, Sarma became eligible to campaign from the evening.
Canvassing for the third and final phase of Assam assembly elections comes to an end on the evening of April 4. The final phase of polling will be held on April 6.
In his fresh representation to EC on Saturday, Sarma pleaded for reducing the ban to 24 hours on the ground that he is himself a candidate in the constituency which is scheduled to go for polls on Tuesday. He also tendered an unconditional apology to the EC, which was considered.
Election “Commission”.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 3, 2021
A dark day for Parliamentary democracy.
— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) April 3, 2021
#ECI doesn’t even have the guts to sustain its own order. Deplorable that EC buckles under Modi Govt’s pressure & reverses its own order of ban on Sh. Himanta Biswa Sarma.
History will neither pardon #ECI nor #BJP for this sin.
1/2 pic.twitter.com/gKY4UUqZvu
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Shocked by PM’s remarks on Shakti scheme causing loss to metro: Shivakumar
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday said that he is "shocked" by the reported statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the "Shakthi scheme had resulted in loss of revenue for the Bengaluru metro".
Under the 'Shakti' scheme implemented by the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government, women can avail free travel in state-run buses.
Hitting out at Modi, the state deputy chief minister said that the prime minister lacks information on the Shakthi scheme and hence he has said that it has impacted revenues of the Bengaluru metro.
"Namma metro has earned a revenue of Rs 130 crore in the last one year. Footfalls too have gone up by 30 per cent for the same period. Bengaluru metro is limited to Bengaluru, while the Shakthi scheme is rolled out, keeping in mind people from across the state," he told reporters here.
The Shakthi scheme is rolled out by the Congress to ease the burden of price rise and inflation on women, Shivakumar said.
"Metro is a joint initiative between the State and the Centre and it has done well over the last one year. Someone seems to have provided incorrect information to the prime minister," he added.
"I would like to convey to the PM that the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and Bengaluru metro are being run efficiently while offering the Shakthi scheme to women. Women are taking 60 lakh trips per day in Karnataka. They are very happy with the Shakthi scheme. Many other states are expressing interest in Shakthi scheme," he said.
PM Modi has reportedly spoken in an interview on bus and the Metro rail services and whether or not he made a specific reference to Karnataka is not known.
When asked if there was a shortage of buses in North Karnataka, Shivakumar said, "We have already taken a decision to buy 1,000 new buses. Of these, 100 buses have been allocated to Ramanagara district. Buses will be allocated to North Karnataka as well.
"We are not looking at making profits from KSRTC. We are only ensuring it doesn’t make losses. The government is reimbursing the cost of tickets under the Shakthi scheme," he said.
