New Delhi: A Congress delegation on Tuesday petitioned the Election Commission on the BJP government in Haryana violating the model code of conduct in various ways.
It complained that the state government's hoardings on various pro-people decisions have not been removed while a government recruitment racket inviting many times more candidates for interviews than the vacancies is on.
The delegation led by Haryana Opposition leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda and state Congress chief Kumari Selja also urged the EC to cease thousands of letters of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar lying in the post offices for distribution during the election to influence farmers and beneficiaries of the state government programmes.
Selja told reporters that this was second complaint of the Congress to the Election Commission on the malpractices of the Khattar government to influence the voters.
On misuse of the official machinery, Hooda, a former chief minister, said a large number of youths were called for interviews when the recruitment should have been stopped in view of the elections and the government employees have been warned not to remove the publicity boards put up at petrol pumps and other places.
In reply to a question, Hooda said the BJP government had similarly violated the model code in the Jind by-election but the EC did nothing. "Our job is to bring to notice of EC such matters and it's now up to it how it ensures free and fair election."
