Give details of advt. on Panipat project: EC to Haryana

New Delhi, Apr 8 (UNI) Promptly acting on BJP's complaint yesterday, the Election Commission has asked the Haryana Chief Secretary to provide details by 1700 hrs today about the advertisements that appeared in newspapers about the elevated highway project for which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had laid the foundation-stone earlier this week.

A commission spokesman said the EC wanted to ascertain whether the advertisements were in violation of the model code of conduct in view of the ongoing assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry.

A BJP delegation had met CEC B B Tandon and lodged a complaint, stating that the Congress was ''misusing'' state funds through advertisements for election purposes.

In a memorandum submitted to the Commission, the delegation led by BJP Vice President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi demanded immediate action against the Haryana Government and UPA Government at the Centre under Election Rules clause 16A for violating the Model Code of Conduct.

It said the Congress Government in Haryana had issued advertisements appeared in many newspapers on April 5, which read "Aap Ka Saath, Hamaara Prayas-Hoga Vikas.'' Many newspapers in which the advertisement appeared also had circulation in Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Kerala, West Bengal and Assam which might influence the voters, they pointed out.

The advertisements had shown Congress President Sonia Gandhi along with the Congress symbol ''hand'', although Ms Gandhi was neither Chairman of the National Security Council nor had she gone to Haryana to attend any function there.

The delegation claimed that the Election Commission had notified the schedule for the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha by election and the same advertisement had appeared in many Hindi newspapers, being published from Rae Bareli, thus violating the Model Code of Conduct.

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