EC's 'extraordinary activism' irks Left parties

New Delhi, Apr 10: The Left parties are irked by what they termed as ''an extraordinary activism".

Asserting that that any Act, which is passed by the Parliament, is not subject to any code, the CPI(M), CPI and RSP also questioned the Election Commission's "executive powers".

Talking to UNI, the Left parties emphasised that the Left would retain power in West Bengal despite all" hurdles" being put by the EC and its "attempts" to present the Left in bad light when hardly eight days were left for the first phase of polls there.

CPI(M) stalwart and Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury said,"it is the duty of the executive to honour and implement the law on reservations for OBCs, which have been passed in both Houses of Parliament." Mr Yechury, who is also the Rajya Sabha MP and editor of the party Weekly People's Democracy, said the Left would take up the issue in a big way both inside and outside the Parliament after the Polls.

The CPI(M) leader did not find any "code violation in the Centre's announcing plans for OBC quotas in the elite educational institutions," a day after Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh denied that he violated any poll code.

CPI(M) veteran and Polit Bureau member M K Pandhe held that" the EC has no executive powers.Its main role is to conduct free and fair polls and recommend action if it found some thing wrong anywhere. It is quite strange and partisan when it raided our party office in Keshpur, that too along with the members of the Trinamool Congress( TMC)." Mr Pandhe said" this is definitely not the role of the EC."

CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan said," the notice issued by the EC and the reply given by Arjun Singh shows how extraordinary activism is being shown by the EC." Mr Bardhan held there was no reason for the EC to issue notice on reservation issue as a constituional amendment had already been passed in the Parliament.

CPI National Secretary Shamim Faizi said the extraordinary activism of the EC was also witnessed when its observer raided the CPI(M) Keshpur office in WB and accused the EC of adopting a partisan attitude.

"The so called Code of conduct and the authority of the EC needs to be clearly defined." the CPI leader said.

Mr Bardhan and Mr Faizi said the HRD ministry's proposed plan for 27 per cent reservation to OBCs is a"justified political decision and is in conformity with the assurance given in the Common Minimum Programme( CMP).

Mr Yechury said the reservations for the OBCs in the private sector was also a matter of time as the CMP contained a promise in this regard as well.

The CPI(M) leader said,"It is strange that the EC has chosen to remain silent on the ongoing Rath yatras of BJP leaders- L K Advani and Rajnath Singh and their raising the Ram Temple again, which are fraught with the dangers of disturbing social fabric and peace." RSP leader Abani Roy said the EC was not expected to play a" partisan role" and endorsed the CPI(M) and CPI leaders advocacy for " redefinition" of the role of the EC.

On the raid in the party office, Mr Roy said the EC instead should have asked the local police and administration to conduct the raid, if there was anything objectionable.

But the EC itself had come to the conclusion, which was not borne out by facts of enquiry.

UNI