SHILLONG, APR 5: The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) Meghalaya unit lodged a complaint against Congress minister AL Hek for allegedly violating the model code of conduct during series of election campaigns organized by the party in the city.
“Hek, currently a cabinet minister of the state has violated the model code of conduct on three occasions,” BJP Meghalaya unit president KS Lyngdoh said in a complaint to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) P Naik on Saturday.
Presenting the date, time and place of the violation, Lyngdoh pointed out that on April 1 at 8 pm at Golf Links, Hek while addressing a meeting organized by the Congress promised the allocation of the Health Insurance Scheme of the government and said it will be raised from the current Rs 1.63 lakh to Rs 2 lakh if the people re-elected the Congress nominee and sitting MP Vincent H Pala from the Shillong Parliamentary constituency.
Similarly, Hek repeated the promise at the public meetings held on April 4 at 7 pm at Laban and 9 pm at Mawprem.
“We understand this is a clear violation of the Model Code of Conduct as laid by the Commission (vide VII Instruction to Party in Power) that “(VI) from the time of elections are announced by the Commission Ministers and other authorities shall not- “(a) Announce any financial grants in any form or promises thereof,” Lyngdoh stated.
The BJP views with concern the advantage the minister is taking of his position making election promises to the public.
Lyngdoh requested the CEO to enquire into the matter and take appropriate action.- By Our Reporter
Bribing The Voters
Retired Chief Election Commissioner , S Y Quraishi , is all set to release his book ,
” The Undocumented Wonder : The Making of the Great Indian Election ”
Talking to DNA ( 15 April 2014 ) he listed some 40 different ways in which , Political Parties try to bribe voters
Some of these are :
> Cash
> Depositing money in voter’s bank account
> Liquor Bottles
> LPG Cylinders
> Free Rice / Food Packets
> Payments of Electricity / Water Bills
> Mass Feasts
> Screening of films
> Laptops / Tablets
> Bicycles
> Mangal Sutras
> Gold Coins
> Buffalos
> Colour TV
> Mixer – Grinder
> Unemployment Allowance
> Waiver of loans
> Free Houses ……etc
Political Parties are happy that Mr Quarishi , being an honest / straight forward person , could imagine only 10 % of the ways of bribing voters !
And who cares that the EC has managed to seize a meager Rs 300 crores worth of cash so far during the current season , when all of the Rs 40,000 Crores worth of black money ( @ Rs 5 crores per candidate * 8,000 candidates ) , has escaped un-noticed ( looking other way ? ) by ,
> Income Tax Department
> Enforcement Directorate
> CAG / CVC
> Election Commission…..etc
Even the almighty Supreme Court seemed helpless , when it held recently :
” Although promises of distribution of freebies may not technically constitute corrupt practice , under the Representation of People Act , they vitiate the electoral process by influencing voters and disturbing the level playing between contesting parties ”
And since there is no difference of opinion between the political parties when it comes to exploiting the poverty of 400 million BPL ( Below the Poverty Line ) voters , I would not be surprised if the next government at the Centre , introduces a ,
” Bribe ( given ) Politically ( is ) Legal Bill ” ( for BPL people ! )
in the very first session of 16th Lok Sabha !
Expect it to be passed unanimously – and without a debate !
Political parties are firm believer of what Kaushik Basu ( onetime advisor to PM ) once said ( – although in a different context ) ,
” Giving bribe must not be treated as crime
Ordinary citizens are forced to give bribes when they are denied , service that is legitimately due to them
If they are held innocent , they will come forward and report all instances when they were forced to bribe bureaucrats
Only bribe-takers must be punished ”
* hemen parekh ( 28 April 2014 / Mumbai )