From Our Special Correspondent
GUWAHATI: The Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India against chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb for allegedly resorting to “undemocratic means and intimidation” to influence voters during speeches in public meetings in violation of electoral code of conduct.
In a letter to the chief election commissioner, the TPCC called for drastic action against the chief minister as he had dragged electoral politics down to a new low by his irresponsible utterances interspersed with intimidation in a series of speeches after the electoral code of conduct had come into force.
TPCC vice president, Tapas Dey cited instances in the letter to the ECI mentioning that Deb had on Wednesday addressed three election meetings in Mazlishpur, Pratapgarh and Badharghat assembly segments which constitute parts of West Tripura (general) Lok Sabha seat in presence of workers and supporters of respective areas. “In all three meetings, Biplab Kumar Deb threatened voters with stoppage of dearness allowance and social allowances for employees unless the BJP won both the Lok Sabha seats in the state and unless Prime Minister Narendra Modi won the upcoming Lok Sabha election,” Dey said.
The TPCC spokesperson also alleged that Deb had also threatened to stop giving free gas connections under the ‘Ujjwala Yojana’ while warning that those who have benefited from ‘Saubhagya Yojana’ would have to pay commission and that purchase of rice by Food Corporation of India at high minimum support price from farmers would be a matter of the past.
“We consider such intimidatory statements in public speech as a gross and brazen violation of the electoral code of conduct enforced by the Election Commission with the ulterior motive of extracting votes by resorting to coercion and creating fear in the minds of the electorate. This calls for drastic action on the part of the ECI so that such irresponsible and intimidatory utterances are never again made,” Dey said.
“In case your kind self decides to hold an inquiry we are ready with all evidence and proof of our complaint,” he added.
