BJP blames Congress for hate pamphlets

SHILLONG: The BJP has lodged a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer on Sunday demanding appropriate action against circulation of pamphlets containing malicious, divisive and condemnable elements on the eve of Tura by-election alleging that it is the handiwork of the Congress.
Earlier, after the AICC had lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India naming RSS behind the malicious campaign, the police      registered a case based on the FIR filed by the Returning Officer Pravin Bakshi on May 13.
However, in the complaint letter addressed to the Chief Electoral Officer on Sunday, the BJP state president Shibun Lyngdoh said that as a responsible national party wedded to the Constitution of India, the BJP takes serious exception to the circulation of pamphlets in Garo Hills, aimed at vitiating not only the peaceful electoral atmosphere on the eve of Tura by-election, but also in an attempt to divide and mislead the voters on communal and sectarian lines for reaping narrow electoral gain.
“As evident, similar attempts have been made in the recent past by the INC candidate to create a situation of mistrust among the voters and trying to divide them on parochial lines by issuing hate speech and hence, the instant handiwork cannot be ruled out to be a sequel to such attempts in desperation by the INC candidate and her party at large,” the BJP leader said.
Lyngdoh said that the pamphlets do not conform to the requirements of such publication as the same neither reflects the name of the signing authority and a cogent official letterhead nor the logo etc., substantiating thereby mala fide with which the whole exercise has been undertaken by the vested interest in this regard.
According to the BJP leader, it is also in public domain that the INC candidate and her party have not only been indulging in corrupt practices to allure the voters but also resorted to deliberate violation of electoral rules and instructions which unfortunately has not drawn the concern of the Election Commission in terms of action restraining the candidate and her party from abusing the process.
“Besides, seizure of lakhs of rupees from the possession of the Congress party workers during the campaign period and addressing of election meeting beyond the stipulated hours speaks voluminously of the illegal and unconstitutional means adopted by the INC and its candidate to illegally garner support of the voters,” the BJP said.
The BJP leader has also criticized the Returning Officer for not promptly acting against the Congress candidate for the various lapses.