New Delhi
The Congress on Saturday hit out at the EC for reducing the campaigning ban on Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and said it is a dark day for parliamentary democracy and history will not pardon the panel. Surjewala said it was deplorable the EC could not sustain its own order and accused the poll body of buckling under pressure of the Modi government by reducing the ban on Sarma from 48 hours to 24 hours.
“A dark day for Parliamentary democracy. EC 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 EC, he asked why did it make this change of heart and why it did not seek the comments of the complainant. “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 licence to issue threat with impunity," he further asked.
EC transfers Himanta’s cop brother from Goalpara
After barring Sarma from campaigning, EC transferred his brother and Goalpara SP Sushanta Biswa Sarma. An order by the EC said Sarma shall be transferred to some suitable post in the state headquarters and IPS officer Veera Venakata Rakesh Reddy shall be posted with immediate effect as the new SP of Goalpara district, which will go to poll in the third and last phase on April 6.
"While we were awaiting strict action from the EC in the case in which an EVM was found in the BJP leader’s car, another move of the Election Commission seems to suggest it has torn down the page of impartiality from its rulebook,” she tweeted in Hindi. “After all, under what pressure was the ban on BJP leader, who was giving threats, reduced from 48 hours to 24 hours ..." said Priyanka Gandhi, Congress leader.
