Video: BJP Leader Makes Minor Son Cast Vote On His Behalf, Booked

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A BJP leader found himself in troubled waters after he took his minor son inside the voting chamber and let him cast vote on his behalf during Lok Sabha polling in Berasia on Tuesday.

Vinay Mehar, the BJP leader who is also district panchayat member, did not stop there, as he went on to make a video of his son pressing a button on the EVM and then posted the video on his social media page.

The act of Mehar not only invited FIR against him, but even led to the suspension of the presiding officer and his three subordinates.

Taking cognisance of the incident, Bhopal collector and district returning officer Kaushlendra Vikram Singh suspended the booth polling officer and three others and also got an FIR registered against Mehar, the official said.

The controversy erupted after the video of a minor boy casting vote in the Berasia area of Bhopal Parliamentary constituency surfaced on social media. The 14-second video - reportedly shared on Mehar's Facebook page shows his minor son, who accompanied him to the voting chamber, pressing the button on EVM on his father’s behalf on Tuesday. The camera then pans to show the vote being registered by the VVPAT- Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail machine- after which Mehar, who was making the video on his mobile, is heard saying, ‘Ok. That is enough now.’ Berasia Assembly segment, where the incident took place, is one of eight that makes up the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat.

Presiding officer among four suspended

RO writes to police commissioner seeking action against negligent cops

District collector and returning officer (RO) Kaushlendra Vikram Singh said FIR has been registered against BJP leader Vinay Mehar while booth number 71 (Khitwas) presiding officer Sandeep Saini,and subordinates CR Batham, Manoj Kumar Maurya, and Madan Gopal Patel have been suspended. Letter has also been written to police commissioner Harinarayan Chari Mishra to initiate action against negligent policemen, the collector said.