Chandigarh April 28 – Reacting strongly to what it called “the
unprecedented, unwarranted and totally undemocratic “ order of the
Election Commission of India, prohibiting Akali leader and Punjab
Revenue Minister Mr. Bikram Singh Majithia from moving out of the
polling area where he is to cast his vote , the Shiromani Akali Dal
declared here today that it would seek an immediate reversal of the
order which amounts to the denial of Mr. Majithia’s fundamental right
to take part in the electoral process as a normal and free citizen of
India. The order implies that he can not even travel on the day of the
election from is house in Amritsar to the constituency , Majitha,
where he is to cast his vote.
As for the need to keep his movments under surveillance, Mr Bains
said that there was a much stronger ground and reason for applying
this surveillance on leaders of the Congress party whoohad openly
talking the language of violence and even threatening the use of
swords, laathis, khoondas and other weapons. “Even if you closely
monitor all he speeches of Mr Majithia during the campaign, you will
not find a single instance where he violated civility or propriety in
his language. And hen contrast it with daily spouting of venm by some
Congress leaders, openly threatening violence even against Mr
majithia. The EC order is patently unfair and hugely biased,” said Mr
Bains.
“ This must be the only instance in the country of the movements
of a legitimate citizen and voter being told not to move as a free
citizen without any legal or any other credible basis for such an
action. If left to stay unchanged, this order will strike a severe
blow to the fundamental rights of the citizen. On what grounds has the
EC arrived at the decision to restrict Mr Majithia freedom of movement
and to treat him virtually as an accused without even so much as an
accusation being brought up against him by the Commission. . The EC
has quoted no ground on the basis of which such an extraordinary order
has been issued,” said the SAD General Secretary Mr. Harcharan Bains
in a statement here.
The EC order, said Mr Bains, strikes at the democratic right
of Mr. Majithia to take part in the electoral as a free citizen of
India. “Why has he been treated any different from any other
political functionary or citizen? What is the ground for such harsh
treatment?”
The SAD General Secretary said that the Congress had systematically
targeted Mr. Majithia as they fear his popularity and rapport with the
common masses. “ The Congress probably would want not only Mr
Majithia’s movements but also those of everyone else restricted so
that they, the Congress, can have a free run of the place and win by
default. They know that that is the only way they can win here. But
the voters of this constituency will give a befitting response to the
Congress for resorting to such lowly tricks,” said Mr Bains.
Mr Bains said that the EC should have known that targeting of Mr
Majithia was a standard part of the election campaign strategy of the
Congress. The EC had got all the complaints against the minister
independently looked into, and had found nothing against him so far.
Further, the order had no basis as there is no report even with the
EC of any violation of any section of the model code of electoral
conduct by the minister. “ The Election Commission has given no reason
on the basis of which it has arrived at this unusual and inexplicable
decision. There is no evidence anywhere of any electoral irregularity,
impropriety or illegality committed by Mr. Majithia during the course
of the entire election campaign. Nor has it disclosed what material
did it have in its possession to move against Mr Majithia. The
Election Commission itself has never indicted him in any of the
routine complaints lodged ritualistically against him and other Akali
workers by our opponents. In the light of all this, the EC order is
totally unwarranted and unjustified and even intriguing,” said Mr
Bains in a statement here this evening.
The only basis on which the EC has acted, it seems, is the
politically motivated hue and cry raised by our opponents, chiefly the
Congress whose word cannot be relied upon as sacred and neutral as
they are an interested party, said the SAD General Secretary .
The SAD General Secretary said that the party is approaching the
EC for an immediate review and reversal of the controversial order.